A Familiar's Heart
by Rias Minarossi
Summary: Shortly after Mikage's disappearance, Tomoe's loneliness begins to take its toll and he finds himself neglecting the shrine. He manages to find solace in the wolf yokai, Miko. However, a sudden tragedy tears Miko and Tomoe apart. Will Tomoe be able to protect Miko from those who wish to steal her away, or will a familiar's duty outweigh his heart?
1. Part 1 - Time

"When two hearts are meant for each other,  
no distance is too far, no time is too long,  
and nothing can break them apart."  
– Cat Stevens


	2. A Familiar's Surprise

_"I'm going into town, Tomoe. Make sure you hold down the fort until I get back, okay?"_

Five years. That was how long Mikage had been gone. Five long, hard years.

Tomoe trudged through the door of the shrine, exhausted from the night's activities. "I'm home," he called out wearily, not really expecting answer other than Onikiri and Kotetsu's usual greeting. So, naturally, when nothing but the sound of hushed whispers reached his ears, Tomoe immediately tensed.

It had been five years since Mikage had left the shrine, but it had been over five hundred since Tomoe had had a real fight and now he was itching for one. Slipping off his shoes, Tomoe crept closer to the main room of the shrine, where the voices were coming from.

"Was that him?" The voice was unfamiliar, but it definitely belonged to a man. "What an odd time to be out." An irritated huff sounded before the man continued, "Are you certain she'll be safe around a white fox like him?" Tomoe paused. _Are they talking about me?_ He stepped closer to the door and continued listening.

"Now, now, dear," chided another voice, this one female. "We shouldn't judge him based on his birth. After all, we're not very different." The man scoffed but let the woman speak. "It is safe, isn't it, my lord?"

"Of course," responded another man, but Tomoe was able to recognize him almost instantly. _Lord Ookuninushi?_ Tomoe was puzzled. Almost immediately his stance relaxed; if Ookuninushi was here, then obviously there was no reason to fight. _Even so... What is he doing here?_ Luckily, Tomoe didn't have to wait long for an answer. "Lord Mikage himself swore to me that he would be the best one to leave her with."

Tomoe's lavender eyes widened. _Mikage?_ What did he have to do with all this? And if he was the reason for Ookuninushi's appearance, then why wasn't he here as well?

Everything about the situation was strange and every passing moment only confused Tomoe more. He squared his shoulders and prepared to barge into the room when another voice stopped him. This one, however, did not come from inside the main room, nor was it the voice of an adult. Even so, that voice was the most baffling thing about the entire situation.

"HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIYAH!"

Tomoe didn't even get a chance to respond before something hard and hollow collided with the top of his head. An expletive made its way out of the fox's mouth as he clutched his head in pain and stepped back. Unfortunately, the attacker had speed as well as surprise on the white fox and within a moment, a loud crack sounded as Tomoe's gut made contact with the intruder's weapon, knocking him back further. What the hell?! he wondered as the door to the main room opened.

Onikiri and Kotetsu were the first ones outside. Right behind them were a man and a woman Tomoe didn't recognize followed by Ookuninushi himself. Before he could speak, another battle cry sounded from his opponent and Tomoe readied himself for another assault.

Luckily, the others had seemed to understand the situation as soon as they had laid eyes on Tomoe and were able to react far more quickly to the attack. "Hey! Let me go!" Tomoe opened his lavender eyes to see the man holding a young girl in his arms. She was struggling furiously as she tried to break free of the man's hold.

"Are you alright?" asked the woman, drawing Tomoe's attention. He nodded, still in shock from what had just occurred. "I'm sorry about her, she tends to get a little excited." The woman's face was apologetic and she seemed to be studying Tomoe for signs of serious injury.

Shaking the dazed fog out of his mind, Tomoe recollected himself and stood. "I'm quite alright," he assured them.

The woman studied him for a moment longer before nodding to herself in satisfaction. She turned back to the young girl, who was still struggling in the man's arms, though now she was attempting to beat him with what looked like a small wooden stick.

"Miko Tachibana!" the woman scolded. Almost immediately, both the man and the young girl stopped and looked up at her, their expressions terrified. "What is wrong with you, attacking Master Tomoe like that?! We are guests in his home, and as such, we should treat him with respect, not attack him like animals!"

The young girl seemed to recover her previous courage, because indignant fury fill her golden eyes as she responded, "It's his own fault for creeping around like some kind of thief! How was I supposed to know he lived here?!"

"Miko..." the woman began, her voice showing just how angry was becoming.

Luckily, one of the men was brave enough to intervene. "That's enough, Hikari," Ookuninushi said softly. He looked down at the young girl kindly. "Miko was just trying to protect us, isn't that right?" Miko nodded but she kept her golden gaze on her mother. "You can't fault her for that, can you?"

"I can," Tomoe muttered under his breath as he watched the exchange, but a warning look from the blond god silenced him.

"Well," continued Ookuninushi, clapping his hands together cheerfully. "Now that that's settled, let's have a seat so we can discuss the reason for our visit." He turned to smile at Tomoe. "Master Tomoe, if you would be so kind as to make us some tea. It's getting rather late, and I think we'll be needing to stay up for quite a while longer."

"Which reminds me," the man said, looking down at the young girl sternly. She had calmed down enough that he could set her on the floor without fear of another attack. "Why aren't you in bed, young lady?"

Miko glared up at him before pointing at the fox familiar. "I was until I heard him stomping around outside," she replied haughtily. "It's not my fault he's loud enough to wake up half of Yomi." The shock of Miko's words outweighed the sting of her insults. Not even Ookuninushi had sensed Tomoe's presence until he'd called out, but this little girl had been able to hear him sneak in? Tomoe looked down at the young girl. _Just what exactly is she?_

Ookuninushi sighed and clapped his hands together once more. "Well," he said, "it can't be helped. She might as well stay awake with the rest of us." None of them argued and Tomoe could have sworn he had seen a victorious smirk on the young girl's face before she followed the other adults into the main room.

Tomoe sighed. "Onikiri! Kotetsu!" Twin flames appeared, signaling the arrival of the shrine spirits. He barely even looked at them as he made his way to the kitchen. "Prepare a fresh change of clothes for me while I make the tea," he ordered. "Once it's ready, serve Lord Ookuninushi and his companions some tea." Tomoe paused for a moment as the memory of the fiery young girl with golden eyes came into his mind. "I'll also leave a glass with warm milk and honey for the girl."

The spirits nodded and ran off to complete their tasks. Tomoe paused for a moment, pondering the recent events. He sighed once more and looked up at the full moon through the window. "What are you playing at, Mikage?"

He stood like that for a long moment, but the moon was as cold and silent as ever. Eventually, Tomoe began working, and as he poured the milk, thoughts of a little girl with golden eyes continued to fill his mind.

* * *

Tomoe took a sip of his tea and pretended not to notice the dark-haired girl staring at him. Now that he could see her in the light, she really was quite lovely. She looked almost human, aside from the black tattoo-like marks running down the sides of her face and down her neck, the small black tail poking out from under her lavender pajamas, and the pointy black ears sticking out of her jet black hair which ran down to her waist. Her skin was pale and she had delicate features marred only by the scowl in her golden eyes. She seemed to be incapable of smiling at the white fox, though she often graced the spirits and Ookuninushi with a toothy grin.

Ookuninushi cleared his throat, drawing the familiar's attention. "Master Tomoe," he said kindly. "Thank you again for your hospitality. I'd like to introduce you to my familiars, Ryota and Hikari Tachibana." The man and woman smiled and bowed their heads to Tomoe. "You've already met their daughter, Miko." Another glare from the young girl. The resemblance was obvious in the light; Miko had inherited her mother's appearance, but her father held the same determined fire in his jade eyes as Miko did in her gold ones.

"Five years ago," Ryota began, glancing at his wife tentatively. "Hikari fell ill. She was already eight months pregnant with Miko, but our physician said neither of them would survive childbirth." Tomoe's eyes widened at this revelation. Even so, what did that have to do with Mikage?

"Lord Ookuninushi had been visiting his mother, Lady Izanami, in Yomi so we were unable to contact him for help," continued Hikari herself. "At the time, Lord Otohiko was the only god we were able to reach." Tomoe shuddered as he pictured the poor couple being forced to deal with the wind god. "Luckily, he was able to put us in contact with Lord Mikage, who rushed over and helped us birth Miko safely." That definitely sounded like something the matchmaking god would do. Suddenly, Tomoe had a thought, one that might help explain the whole reason for Mikage's disappearance.

"When is Miko's birthday?" he demanded abruptly. If he was right, then Miko was the reason Mikage had disappeared all those years ago. Maybe she was the key to bringing him back as well.

"I turned five last Thursday," replied the dark-haired girl defiantly, no fear in her golden eyes despite the white fox's sudden change in attitude. Tomoe didn't need any time to recognize the date. September 26th. The day after Mikage disappeared. The timeline made sense. _So this is the girl who stole Mikage away._

"Did he say where he was going after you recovered?" demanded Tomoe, turning back to the couple. They shook their heads sadly and Tomoe sighed. "I had imagined as much." Taking a breath, he squared his shoulders and continued, "Well, it can't be helped. But I must ask, what does that have to do with your visit to the shrine?"

Ookuninushi shared a grim look with his familiars before speaking. "Before Mikage left, it seems he left a message with Ryota and Hikari," he said. "The message was that, should they ever need someone to watch over Miko in their absence, they should come to Mikage shrine and leave her in your care, Tomoe." Tomoe's lavender eyes widened. What?! He grit his teeth. Damn you, Mikage, if you ever come back, I'll jump-kick you as soon as you show your face.

"There must be some kind of mistake," protested the fox. "Are you sure Mikage meant me?"

The blond god nodded grimly, a strange thing for his usually cheerful countenance. "You see, Master Tomoe, Hikari and Ryota are wolf yokai."

"Wolf yokai?" repeated Tomoe in surprise. Wolf yokai were extremely rare; Tomoe thought they had gone extinct over 500 years ago.

According to legend, the wolf yokai were Lady Izanami's most beloved creations, gifted in both mind and body. Their physical strength and agility were matched only by their quick wits. Lord Izanagi, seeing how powerful the wolf yokai were, and realizing that if they were left unchecked, could surpass even the gods themselves, cursed the wolves, forbidding them from having more than one child per family; any more and either the mother or the child would die in childbirth. In addition to this curse, wolf yokai took almost as long to mature as humans, which meant that the length of time between the current generations and the next ones would be even greater.

Ryota nodded and looked at his wife lovingly. "Miko is the last pure-blooded female wolf yokai left," he explained. "As such, she is sought after by many gods as well as yokai. In exchange for Miko's protection, we have agreed to let her become Lord Ookuninushi's familiar when she is of age."

"I imagine there is a pure-blooded male wolf yokai waiting for her to mature as well?" Tomoe asked with a raised eyebrow. The couple nodded, confirming his suspicions, and Tomoe glanced down at the young girl who was gulping down her milk, completely oblivious to the implications. "I see."

"Until now," Hikari continued, "I have been the one caring for Miko while my husband attends to Lord Ookuninushi during Kamuhakari." Tomoe suddenly realized where this was going and he didn't like it. "But, as you've seen, Miko is at the age where she enjoys running about wildly." Miko huffed and crossed her arms, insulted by her mother's words. Tomoe fought the urge to smirk at her milk mustache. "I fear that one of the gods may try something if they see her, and Izumo is too busy this time of year for me to be away from the shrine for so long."

"So you want me to watch her while you two work?" finished Tomoe for the woman. Ryota and Hikari both bowed down pleadingly.

"Please, Master Tomoe, watch over our daughter!"

Tomoe watched Miko, who was still glaring at him defiantly. Five years old, and she was already engaged, not to mention a future contract with Ookuninushi. The things we do to protect the people we love. Tomoe smiled bitterly.

He looked back up at the adults and replied, "Sorry, but this isn't my problem. Go find someone else to babysit her."


	3. A Familiar's Duty

"Oh, thank you – wait, _what_?!" exclaimed the other three in unison.

"You heard me," said Tomoe in a bored tone. "Get someone else to watch her. I have neither the time nor the patience to look after an unruly, misbehaving brat. If Mikage wanted her here so badly, he should have been here to welcome her."

Almost immediately, Ookuninushi was on his feet. "Master Tomoe, please reconsider –"

"I refuse."

"But if you just –"

"No."

"Master Tomoe –"

A dangerous look from the white fox silenced the blond man. "I will not repeat myself again," said Tomoe, lifting a fan to his face. "I have no obligation to help you. If Mikage wants me to care for her, he can come down here and make me." A flicker of movement in Tomoe's peripheral vision caused him to turn and see Miko studying him closely. Tomoe bent down so that their faces were level and watched her with the same intensity. "What?"

Miko remained silent for a long moment. "You're a fox, right?" she finally asked. Tomoe nodded and Miko reached up tentatively. Tugging on one of his ears, she continued, "Why do you have cat ears then?"

"I do not have cat ears!" yelled Tomoe indignantly, bringing his face closer to hers. Instead of backing away, however, the young girl merely gave him a bored look and hit his head with her stick once more. "Ow!" Tomoe straightened immediately and glared at the girl.

"Miko!" scolded Hikari. "Don't be so rude to Master Tomoe."

The child looked at her mother and shrugged nonchalantly. "It's not like he has any choice in the matter," she said simply. Instead of explaining further, she merely toddled back to her place and plopped down to continue drinking her milk.

"What do you mean by that, Miko?" Ryota prompted his daughter.

Miko stayed quiet until she had drunk the last of her milk then placed the glass down and stood once more. Moving quietly, she waddled to a small black backpack beside her mother's purse. She reached inside the backpack and pulled out two small DVDs. After studying them both for a moment, Miko nodded to herself in satisfaction and moved back towards Tomoe.

"Here," she said, handing him one of the disks. "You're supposed to play this one right now."

Tomoe took the disk skeptically, not particularly inclined to take orders from a toddler, but his curiosity won out. He moved towards the TV, inserted the DVD, and pressed play. At first, there was nothing but static, but once the picture cleared, Tomoe felt his breath catch at the person on the screen.

Mikage.

"Is this thing on?" Mikage asked the person behind the camera. They must have nodded, because he continued, "Oh, good. Well then, Tomoe, if you're watching this, you must be seething right now." Tomoe scoffed. _Understatement of the decade._ "Anyway, before I continue further, I'd like to try something out."

The group watched anxiously as Mikage's expression turned firm and he commanded, "Tomoe, stand!" As if pulled by puppet strings, Tomoe stood up immediately, watching the TV attentively. His lavender eyes widened in realization. _He wouldn't dare._

Mikage paused for a moment before continuing. "If you're standing right now, that means the sacred word binding worked. Then, here are your real orders." A deep breath and Mikage's brown eyes hardened once more behind his circular glasses. "Tomoe, I order you to watch over Miko Tachibana and protect her with your life!" Tomoe remained silent but he felt his jaw clench. _Damn you, Mikage._ "If it didn't work," he continued, his expression grim. "Then you've probably already turned off this recording. But if you haven't, then I beg you Tomoe, please take care of Miko." Someone seemed to be calling Mikage's attention because he looked away for a moment before turning back to the camera. "I have to go now. Best of luck and I'll see you soon, Tomoe."

The screen turned black as the camera turned off, leaving a stunned silence in the room. Ookuninushi was the first to speak. "Miko," he began tentatively. "Where did you get that recording?"

She shrugged. "Lord Otohiko gave it to me before we left," she replied easily. "He made me promise not to mention it unless Tomoe absolutely refused to watch me." Miko shot the fox a glare. "Though if I had known, I wouldn't have said anything."

"What is that supposed to mean?" demanded Tomoe harshly, momentarily distracted by the belligerent little girl.

"It means you're a dummyhead."

Tomoe glared at her. "You damn brat!" Miko merely turned back to her parents.

"Are you guys gonna go home now?" she asked. Tomoe's eyes softened as he noted the soft quiver in her voice. No matter how annoying she was, Miko was still only five. Ryota and Hikari nodded sadly and went to hug their daughter.

"Promise us you'll behave," Hikari sniffled as she embraced Miko tightly. The young girl nodded and Tomoe could have sworn he'd seen a tear roll down her cheek. Ryota remained silent as Ookuninushi bid his farewell to Miko and Tomoe. A flash of light blinded both yokai for a moment and then they were gone.

Tomoe sighed and looked down at the young girl. Her golden eyes were bright and he could tell she was trying very hard not to cry. "It's okay," he said gently. "You can cry if you want to."

Almost defiantly, Miko rubbed her eyes and glared up at the white fox. "I'm not a baby," she told him firmly. "And you're still a dummyhead." Tomoe didn't get a chance to retort before Miko was handing him the second DVD. "Here. Lord Otohiko said not to give you this one until after Lord Ookuninushi and my parents had left. He also said you should watch it alone."

"Thank you," Tomoe said in surprise. He looked down at Miko skeptically. "Are you sure you're only five?"

She nodded. "Wolf yokai may take as long as humans to mature physically, but our minds mature far faster than most other species." Tomoe nodded in understanding. "Now get me some more milk."

"I am not your slave!" protested Tomoe. "Do not forget, young lady, that you are a guest in _my_ home and you will behave as such!"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say, dummyhead. Just get me some milk."

Tomoe glared at the young wolf but didn't bother to respond. Instead, he stood with a huff and left the main room, cursing under his breath as he heated the milk.

When he returned, however, Miko was already curled up on the floor. Tomoe smirked down at the girl. "Troublesome brat," he whispered, but his kind smile softened the harsh words.

As he bent down to pick her up, Miko rolled over, revealing the second DVD she'd given Tomoe. The white fox studied it for a moment, considering it contents. Finally, he could no longer bear the curiosity and replaced the first disk in the player. Turning off the lights, he hit play and lowered the volume so as not to disturb the young girl sleeping beside him.

Once more, static filled the screen for a few seconds before Mikage became visible. "Hello, Tomoe," he greeted kindly. Tomoe's expression remained blank as he continued watching. "If you're watching this right now, you've agreed to take in Miko." The fox yokai scoffed. _Yeah, sure,_ he thought sarcastically. _I 'agreed' to this mess._

"I'm sure you're probably wondering where I am right now," continued Mikage. "And I bet you're pretty angry at me, but I need you to understand that Miko is very important. As Lord Ookuninushi has probably explained to you, she's the last pure-blooded wolf yokai left." Mikage paused, his expression grim. "I realize you probably think I have no right to ask this of you, but please care for Miko as if she were your own family. You are the only person I can trust with this. I'll try to be home as soon as I can." Mikage smiled at the camera, his brown eyes twinkling. "Perhaps you'll have learned a thing or two by the time I return. Goodbye, Tomoe."

Tomoe turned off the TV and sat in the dark silence for a long time. Mikage's video message had just confused him further. Had he been planning to leave Tomoe alone the whole time? And if so, why? Why not just break the contract and find a new familiar? None of it made sense.

A sudden warmth in his lap reminded Tomoe that he was not alone tonight. Looking down at Miko, who had somehow managed to climb onto the white fox's lap, he frowned. What was so special about her? Okay, she was the last of her kind, but so what? What did Mikage have planned for her?

"Tomoe," Miko moaned softly, breaking Tomoe's train of thought. He looked down at the young girl in surprise as she turned over and cracked open her eyelids. Her golden eyes were heavy with sleep. "You're really loud, you know."

"Oh, shut up," he told her with an irritated look. Scooping the toddler into his arms so he could stand, Tomoe carried Miko into the inner shrine where a bed had already been made for her, presumably by one of the shrine spirits. By the time Tomoe had laid her down on the bed and tucked her in, Miko had already fallen asleep again.

Tomoe sighed and studied the young girl carefully. "Special, huh?" He raised an eyebrow skeptically. "I doubt it."

"Would you stop staring at me?" Miko's voice made the fox jump in surprise. "You're so creepy."

"Just go to sleep!" Tomoe ordered as he stormed out of the room, closing the door behind him. He swallowed his irritation and went outside. Sitting down on the porch, Tomoe served himself some sake and stared up at the moon. "You had better be right about her, Mikage." He sighed at the unresponsive moon. "Or I swear, I really will jump-kick you the next time you show your face around here."

Little did Tomoe know that, just above his head, a small butterfly was flying through the sky. If he had seen that butterfly, he might have noticed the way it fluttered around the shrine, as if checking on its inhabitants. He also might have seen the way it landed on a branch and lazily flapped its wings almost like it was content with the state of the shrine. If Tomoe had seen the butterfly, he might have realized that Mikage wasn't as far away as he'd thought.

But, then again, if he'd seen the butterfly, Tomoe and Miko's story might have ended there. Luckily, that little butterfly knew just how much fate had in store for both the fox and the wolf, and it flew just high enough to let their story continue a little longer.


	4. A Familiar's Burden

When Tomoe awakened the next morning, he looked out at the lovely blue sky and cursed under his breath. Standing, he dressed quickly and made his way to the inner shrine where Miko slept. He had resolved the night before that he would at least try to care for the young girl as Mikage had asked, so he placed a cheery smile on his face and knocked on the door cheerfully.

"Miko?" he called in a polite tone, opening the door tentatively. "It's time to wake up. Do you need help dressing?" Before he could ask anything else, a pillow flew through the air, smacking him in the face.

"I can dress myself, you pervert!"

Before Tomoe could reply, he was knocked to the floor. Clutching his head in pain, Tomoe looked up to see Onikiri and Kotetsu racing to Miko's side. "Miss Miko!" they exclaimed. "Are you all right?"

Miko glared at Tomoe from her place in bed and pointed at the white fox. "He's being creepy!" Immediately, the shrine spirits were muttering their apologies.

Tomoe stood, drawing the attention of the other three. "I apologize for upsetting you," he said through gritted teeth. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to take care of something outside before I attend to breakfast." Miko merely crossed her arms and looked away with a huff.

Reminding himself that she was only five, Tomoe walked out to the backyard. Making sure to close the door behind him, he stepped into the center of the yard and glanced around. The air was slightly chilly, but it was still warm enough that there was no need to bundle up. Looking up at the clear blue sky, Tomoe took a deep breath and closed his eyes. When he opened them once more, he yelled at the top of his lungs.

"DAMN YOU, MIKAGE!"

* * *

"Hey, dummyhead!" Miko yelled once more. Tomoe flinched at the nickname and bit back his anger. The white fox groaned and stood, dusting off his knees. All day he'd been interrupted by the young girl's frequent yells. At first, he'd sent Onikiri and Kotetsu to watch over her so he could finish his work, but that had only seemed to aggravate Miko further. Dusk had already fallen and he had barely gotten any real work done.

Turning to look at the young girl, Tomoe plastered an obviously forced smile onto his face. "Yes, Miko?"

The young girl hopped down from her place on the porch and waddled over to the fox. "I'm bored," she told him simply. "Let's go play." Miko tugged his kimono urgently.

Tomoe grabbed the young girl's hand and removed it from the kimono before she could wrinkle it. "I can't play with you right now," he replied harshly. "I have work to do since _someone_ kept me busy all morning with ridiculous demands."

Miko glared at him, her golden narrowed. "Fine then," she said angrily, walking away with a huff. "I'll go play somewhere else."

Tomoe didn't even bother to watch the young girl enter as he turned back to the tedious task of picking weeds. "Miko, indeed," he muttered to himself as he worked.

The girl was sure to become a beautiful and powerful wolf when she got older, but her temper and rashness might get her killed before that time came. Miko's mind was sharp, but her tongue was sharper and Tomoe knew that such a combination could only lead to trouble. Not to mention, she seemed incapable of so much as smiling at anyone she didn't like and she had a terrible habit of speaking her mind no matter the circumstance.

Suddenly, a strange sound reached Tomoe's ears. Well, it wasn't really strange, but rather unexpected. He hadn't heard that sound in such a long time that he'd almost forgotten what it sounded like. The last time it had echoed throughout the shine was over five years ago. It wasn't unpleasant or annoying; in fact, Tomoe thought the sound was quite lovely. Tomoe turned to the source of the sound and a smile reached his lips; of course it would come from her.

Miko let out another carefree laugh as she chased a small butterfly around the yard. Her golden eyes were bright and she wore a rare smile on her face. The laughter floated throughout the yard, lighting up every corner of the shrine. Tomoe watched in amusement as the sunset seemed to turn the girl's dark hair into the same gold as her irises. The butterfly flitted above, darting in and out of Miko's reach. Each time it flew higher, Miko would jump up and let out another peal of delighted laughter.

"Miko, indeed," Tomoe repeated once more, though this time his tone was gentle. Perhaps he could get used to the irritating wolf girl with the lovely laugh.

Unfortunately, the moment of bliss was short-lived. Tomoe turned as another, much more familiar noise reached his ears, though this one was far less pleasant.

"Master Tomoe!" exclaimed Onikiri and Kotetsu as they rushed outside. When they reached the familiar, Kotetsu spoke, "The Tanuki girls called!"

"They said the item you requested has come in," continued Onikiri.

Tomoe nodded. "I see," he said. "I'm going to visit the Tanuki girls for a bit. Watch the shrine until I return." Moving inside, Tomoe headed to his room to change. He showered and dressed quickly, not bothering to check his appearance in the mirror.

The Tanuki girls had many clients, one of whom was a very powerful god by the name of Hoori, the god of hunting. Tomoe had asked the girls to procure one of Hoori's hairs, which was said to be able to lead its bearer to anyone they sought. How fortunate that they were able to locate a hair just in time for young Miko to arrive. Tomoe grinned as he stepped out to the backyard and began making his way across the border to the World Over Yonder.

If Tomoe hadn't been so excited at the prospect of finding his master, perhaps he might have noticed that the laughter in the shrine had died the moment he entered the shrine. He also might have noticed the black-haired little girl with golden eyes following him quietly into the world of the yokai kind.

* * *

Tomoe had been walking in silence for about fifteen minutes before he noticed. The entire had been quiet and uneventful with nothing to cause any suspicion in the fox's mind. However, in the world of yokai, it was exactly this sort of setting which _should_ cause suspicion. Therefore, it was only natural when Tomoe paused, took a deep breath, and listened to the quiet stillness surrounding him.

It took another two minutes for him to hear it: soft, almost imperceptible breathing. Whoever was following Tomoe was very good at hiding their presence; he doubted even an average yokai would have noticed it. Another moment of silence allowed him to locate the source of the sound, just enough time for his stalker to realize they had been noticed.

Suddenly, a dark blur leaped out of the shadows and lunged at the fox. Tomoe rolled to the side in time to avoid a full-on collision, but not quickly enough to avoid a blow to the head. He cursed and stood, ready to defend himself; however, nothing could prepare Tomoe for the scene before him.

"I got you!" sang Miko as she danced about, waving her stick in the air triumphantly. "I got you!" She pointed at Tomoe. "You lose, dummyhead!"

Tomoe stared at the young girl in shock. "This isn't a game, you idiot!" Tomoe yelled once he recovered from the surprise. "I could've killed you!"

Miko merely shrugged, unimpressed. "Mikage ordered you to protect me with your life," she reminded him. "I doubt you could actually harm me even if you wanted to. Plus, you'd have to catch me first."

The white fox took a deep breath and chose to ignore the young girl's jibe at his skill. "It matters not," continued Tomoe in his calmest voice. "Come." He stretched out his hand and beckoned to Miko. "I'm taking you back to the shrine."

Shaking her head, Miko moved away from him in case he tried to grab her. "Nu uh," she said firmly. "It's boring there. I wanna go with you." She crossed her arms.

"You can't come with me," replied Tomoe, exasperation filling his tone. "This isn't a place for children. We're going home now."

"No."

"This isn't a discussion, Miko."

"You're right; it isn't."

"Miko!"

The little girl huffed and puffed her cheeks at him. "I said I'm not going back," she told him. "If you try to force me, I'll just sneak out again." Tomoe glared at her with a look of cold death, but Miko merely returned his glower with fearless defiance. The two of them stood like that for a long while, neither planning to back down any time soon.

Unfortunately, fate had other plans for the fox familiar. "Master Tomoe!" Both Miko and Tomoe turned to see one of the Tanuki girls, Akane, rushing toward him excitedly. "There you are!"

Tomoe forced a smile as the woman reached him. "Miss Akane," he said pleasantly. "What a surprise. I was just on my way to see you and your sisters." Miko raised an eyebrow at him but said nothing, thankfully.

"Yes, my sisters were able to procure one of Hoori's hairs for you," replied Akane. "I believe Sister Sakurako is waiting eagerly for your arrival." Miko's snort of contempt drew the woman's attention. "And who is this?" she asked with a kind smile.

"Merely a lost child," Tomoe answered quickly before Miko could open her mouth. The last thing he needed at the moment was for the brat to tell Akane about his newest job of cleaning up Mikage's mess. "I was planning on returning her to her family after visiting you."

Akane smiled up at the fox. "How kind of you, Master Tomoe," she complimented. "Well, I won't detain you any further. Have a nice evening." Tomoe returned the farewell easily and watched the raccoon-dog made her through the forest.

Once she was out of sight, he breathed a sigh of relief and looked down at Miko. "What?" he demanded at the disapproving look she was giving him.

Miko shook her head and began walking. "You really are a pervert."

"I don't want to hear that from the five-year-old stalker!" Before either of them could speak further, the forest cleared to reveal the all-too familiar red-light district of the yokai world. Miko followed silently as Tomoe led her to the Tanuki girls' shop. "Wait here," he ordered. "I'll be right back."

"Whatever, dummyhead."

Tomoe glared at her and fought the urge to scream. _She's only five,_ he reminded himself as he walked further into the shop. Entering the familiar private room, Tomoe closed the door behind him and smiled at the woman waiting for him.

"Good evening, Master Tomoe," greeted Sakurako pleasantly. "I have the item you requested." Tomoe thanked her and sat down.

Taking the cup of sake she handed him, Tomoe spoke, "I trust it wasn't too difficult for you?"

Sakurako shook her head as she passed him a small box containing a single strand of the god's hair. "Not at all," she assured him. "Master Hoori is very kind. When he heard your plight, he was more than happy to offer one of his hairs. Though he did give a warning with the gift." Tomoe raised an eyebrow, prompting her to continue. "The hair is very powerful; as such it can only be used once."

He nodded in understanding and slipped the box into the pocket of his kimono. Hoori's hair was powerful; he doubted the god would give another one quite so freely if Tomoe messed up this time, so he only had one shot at this. "I see," he said. Smiling at the woman, he continued, "I'll make sure not to let this gift be wasted."

Before Sakurako could reply, a loud crash from outside caused them both to stand and rush outside immediately. "What happened?" she demanded in a panicked tone.

One of the older women, Mizutama, answered. "A few children got into a fight outside," she said, but her eyes were on Tomoe. "One of them, a young girl, ran off into the woods."

Tomoe felt his stomach turn. "Did you see what she looked like?" he demanded.

Mizutama nodded calmly despite his panic. "Black hair, golden eyes, and a face like a doll," she replied easily. The fox's expression turned to one of horror as he ran outside. "Master Tomoe," called Mizutama. He turned impatiently at the sound of his name. Mizutama's expression was grim and he could tell she knew exactly why Tomoe was so upset. "She was crying." Tomoe nodded once before turning and running back into the forest.

"Miko!" he called as he ran. "Miko, where are you? Miko!" No response. He searched the forest for what seemed like hours.

Tomoe reached a small stream just as night fell. His voice was raw from calling out so many times, so he decided to rest and get some water. _Where could she have gone?_ Tomoe wondered desperately. He looked at himself in the reflection of the water and snorted. Some familiar he was; it was his first day taking care of Miko and she had already run away. He could just picture the look on Mikage's face when he heard about this.

Suddenly, Tomoe looked up in realization. _Mikage._ That was it! He dug into the pocket of his kimono and pulled out the small box. Opening it, Tomoe studied the lone strand of hair for a long time. It was his one and only shot at finding Mikage anytime soon. Would it really be wise to use it for something like this instead? Perhaps if he looked a little more, he'd find Miko on his own. Even so...

For some reason, the thought of Miko defenseless and alone in the forest removed the last of Tomoe's hesitation. Picking up the hair, he spoke in a firm voice, "Take me to the wolf yokai known as Miko Tachibana." Almost immediately, the hair lit up with an otherworldly glow and floated out of Tomoe's fingers. As if pulled by a string, the hair began floating in one direction.

After about an hour of walking along the stream, Tomoe reach a large pond beside what looked like an old dried up waterfall. The hair floated to the wall and lit up the darkness to reveal an almost invisible opening. Tomoe stared in surprise as he followed the hair.

Inside the small cave, huddled against the wall, was Miko. Her long hair covered her face and her knees were drawn up to her chest. Muffled sobs were coming from the young girl's body and Tomoe felt his heart wrench. "Miko?" he called tentatively.

Miko looked up as if shocked and jumped away. "What do you want?" she demanded, her golden eyes defiant despite her tear-stained features.

"I was worried about you," replied Tomoe. "It's getting late."

Miko sat back down and resumed her original position. "Go away," she ordered. "I don't want to see you."

Tomoe sighed and crouched in order to meet Miko's eye level. "Will you at least tell me what's wrong?" he said softly.

"Why should I?" she said bitterly, not bothering to look up. "It's not like you're actually concerned about me. You only care what happens to me because Mikage ordered you to. You don't want me here."

The fox considered denying it for a moment, but decided against arguing with the girl for now. "Well, since Mikage ordered me to take care of you," he reasoned. "That means I have to ensure your safety and happiness. Now that I know you're safe, will you tell me what's making you unhappy?"

Miko sniffled and hugged her legs closer to her chest. "I saw some kids playing outside so I went to hang out with them," she said softly. Tomoe fought the urge to scold Miko for disobeying and continued to listen. "One of the boys was being mean to me. He said that Miko was a boy name. He said I didn't belong there." She looked up at Tomoe as tears began to roll down her face once more. "He said I looked too human to be a real yokai."

Tomoe lifted the young girl into his arms as she broke out into a sobbing fit. Holding her tightly, he spoke, "Miko, you shouldn't let ignorant brats get to you." He stroked her long hair as the sobs died slowly. "Do humans have ears?" Miko shook her head against his kimono. "Do they have tails?" Another shake of the head. "Then you're obviously not human, are you?" A third shake. "So if you know you're a yokai, and I know you're a yokai, who cares what that stupid boy thinks?"

Looking up at him, the little wiped her eyes. "Thank you, Tomoe." Tomoe's lavender eyes widened; the fact that she had called him by his name did not escape the white fox.

"Anytime," he replied easily. Placing the girl on the ground once more, Tomoe stood and took her hand. "Now then, shall we return home?"

Miko shook her head. "Can we do one thing before we go?" Tomoe nodded and raised an eyebrow at the young girl, but she merely grinned conspiratorially. "I owe someone a punch in the face."

The white fox nodded in understanding and led the little girl out of the cave. "By the way, how _did_ you find this place?" he asked as they walked out.

The girl shrugged. "A little friend led me here." Deciding not to pry further at the puzzling response, Tomoe nodded and led the girl back through the forest, not even noticing when she waved to the small butterfly watching the pair from a distance.

* * *

"Well, well, well." Tomoe's lavender eyes narrowed at the young boy leaning against the wall watching them exit woods. "The crybaby came back. I thought I told you to go back to the human world."

"I'm not a human," replied Miko firmly, crossing her arms. "And I'm not a crybaby either." She crossed her arms as the boy laughed and pointed at her.

"Oh yeah?" taunted the boy. "Then why do you look so much like one, huh? Stupid human." He began chanting the phrase. Tomoe grit his teeth and stepped forward, irritated by the brat's presence.

"Miko?" Tomoe called pleasantly. "Don't forget Lord Ookuninushi is waiting for your call once we return home." Miko turned to him with a raised eyebrow, but one look at the yokai boy's sudden nervous expression helped her understand.

"Oh yes," she said with a nod. "Lord Ookuninushi is really protective. I can't imagine how angry he would be if he found out I was upset." Turning back to the boy, she continued. "Get it, dummyhead?" He nodded quickly. "Good, now drop and give me twenty!" Tomoe watched in amusement as the yokai boy got down and began doing push-ups in the middle of the street. "Now, say 'I'm a big fat dummy!'"

"I'm a big fat dummy," stuttered the boy.

Miko smirked in satisfaction and took Tomoe's hand once more. "Okay," she said. "We can go now." Tomoe nodded and let the little girl back towards the woods. Once they were out of earshot, the pair burst into laughter. "That was awesome!" Tomoe grinned in agreement. Suddenly, a pair of small arms wrapped around his leg, causing him to jump in surprise. "Thank you, Tomoe."

Tomoe patted her head softly before picking Miko up and placing her on his shoulders. "You're very welcome, Miss Miko."

When they arrived back at the shrine, Onikiri and Kotetsu had all but died of panic. "Master Tomoe!" they exclaimed as the fox familiar entered the shrine. "Miss Miko has gone missing!" Tomoe placed a hand to his lips and motioned to the young girl who had fallen asleep in his arms. Appeased that the young girl was safe, the shrine spirits watched as Tomoe laid her gently on her bed and closed the door softly behind him.

Exhausted from the day's adventure, Tomoe went outside and sat on the porch, pouring himself a cup of sake as he went. Looking up at the moon, Tomoe sighed contentedly. "Miko, indeed."


	5. A Familiar's Joy

Before they knew it, a month had gone by in a relatively uneventful manner. Miko returned home with a tearful farewell. Once she was gone, however, the shrine returned to its empty state. Laughter no longer filled the halls and Tomoe found himself missing the defiant young girl. The year passed in a painfully slow manner, reminding Tomoe of the first few years without Mikage. Eventually, September ended once more, signaling the arrival of both fall and Miko.

It was an especially cold day when she arrived, but the shrine was filled with warmth almost immediately. Tomoe had been pulling weeds outside when the night carriage appeared in the shadow of the trees.

As he stood, a blur of black burst through the carriage doors and leaped into Tomoe's arms. "Tomoe!" Miko laughed happily.

Her happiness was infectious and soon Tomoe himself was grinning broadly as he set down the young girl. "Hello, Miko," he greeted. "You've grown." It was true; the girl now reached Tomoe's waist.

"Of course I have," she told him in an obvious tone. "It's been a whole year."

"That's right." Tomoe acted as though he hadn't noticed, but in truth, he had felt every passing moment. "You'll have turned six last week. Happy birthday." Miko nodded excited and pulled out a small doll with dark hair and green eyes, displaying it proudly. "It's lovely." Tomoe smiled. "Did your parents get it for you?"

Miko shook her head, but her grin was still wide. "Yuuto got it for me," she replied. "He said it was pretty, just like me. Her name is Bisky."

 _Yuuto?_ Tomoe thought in confusion. It took a moment for him to understand. _Ah, that must be the young wolf she's betrothed to._ "How lovely," Tomoe said, surprised at the irritation he had to bite back as he spoke.

"Good evening, Master Tomoe," Hikari called as she and her husband stepped down from the carriage.

"Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Tachibana." The fox took Miko by the hand and led her towards the carriage. "How are things going at Izumo?"

"Busy," replied Ryota. "It seems we barely have enough hands these days." The three adults continued to discuss matters at the shrine while Miko went off to play in the yard. After what seemed like forever to Miko, her parents finally said their goodbyes.

Tomoe turned to look at Miko who was watching the carriage disappear. "So," he began with a smile. "Have you eaten?"

Miko shook her head excitedly. "I want rice balls!" she declared.

The white fox shook his head as he led the little girl inside. "I see you're still bossy as ever."

"And you're still a dummyhead."

Tomoe flinched at the nickname and glared at Miko. "Stop calling me that!" he told her.

"Fine," Miko agreed as they walked. "Whatever you say, pervert."

"That's even worse!"

* * *

"Thank you for the meal!" Miko exclaimed as she began to dig in.

Tomoe nodded as he watched the young girl eat. Taking a bit of his own food, he said, "So, tell me about your little friend. What was his name again? Yuuki?"

Miko glared up at the fox. "It's _Yuuto_ ," she corrected in annoyance. "And what do you want to know about him for?"

The white fox shrugged nonchalantly. "You said he gave you that doll. I want to know what he's like." Miko narrowed her eyes at his answer. After studying him for a long moment, she went back to eating as she spoke.

"Yuuto is a wolf yokai like me," she said simply. "His parents live near the shrine, so we play together a lot." Miko smiled as she remembered the boy. "He's bigger than me, so he chases me around, but I'm faster and better at climbing. Sometimes we go to the river and play in the water, but Mommy always complains that we're filthy once we come home." Tomoe and Miko shuddered in unison at the thought of the terrifying woman; there was no mistaking where Miko got her temper and attitude from.

"Is there anyone else you enjoy playing with?" Tomoe asked as the young girl took a large bite of her rice ball. "Surely there are lots of other children who visit the shrine with their parents."

Miko shook her head, her braids swishing. "They always make fun of my ears and tail." She flicked her bushy black tail – which had grown quite a bit over the past year – for emphasis. "Especially the boys. Yuuto always scares them away when they're mean to me though." The young girl grinned happily at the thought.

The fox pondered this for a moment. "Miko," he said after a while. "Are you lonely at the shrine?" The black-haired girl looked at him for a moment, her expression strange. She seemed to consider the question for a while before shaking her head furiously and returning to her food.

Tomoe nodded and continued to watch Miko eat. She wore a large grin, but her golden eyes betrayed her sadness. He was starting to understand Mikage's reasoning for introducing him to Miko; the young girl must have been just as lonely as he was at that large old shrine with no one to talk to. Even then, she was slightly better off than Tomoe himself. Despite his irritation with the wolf boy, Tomoe was glad what's-his-name was around to keep her company. Perhaps he would make a good husband in the future.

"Hey Tomoe," Miko said, her voice tentative. Tomoe looked up, surprised at her use of his name. Miko's expression was serious as she continued, "These rice balls are too chewy."

Tomoe glared at the young girl. "You're too picky."

"And you're a dummyhead."

"I told you to stop calling me that!"

* * *

Two weeks passed without incident. Miko and Tomoe had come to the agreement that if she allowed him to do his work in peace until lunch, then the rest of the day would be devoted to playing to her heart's content. Naturally, skirmishes often occurred during games – especially because Miko often displayed the cleverness of a fox when it came to circumventing rules – but the arguments often ended by dinner. Tomoe was often grateful for the girl's company, despite his comments about her irritating attitude and habit of sneaking up on him while he worked. He soon found himself lulled into the peaceful routine that came with Miko's arrival.

Unfortunately, the peace could only last so long. Perhaps if Tomoe had not become so used to the routine, he might have noticed when things went wrong. Even so, even foxes can be fooled, and the determination of children is nothing to scoff at.

It happened shortly after lunch. Tomoe had been inside doing the dishes when he heard the scream. Rushing outside, Tomoe looked around frantically, but Miko was nowhere to be found. "Miko?" he called out in a panic. "Miko!"

"Down here!" The familiar looked around in confusion. Miko's voice sounded strangely high-pitched, but she was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, he felt a pair of small claws pawing at his kimono. Tomoe looked down in confusion to see a small furry creature clawing at him frantically.

Bending down, he picked the animal up tentatively and held it in his palm. Tomoe brought the small creature to eye level and spoke. "Miko?"

"Yes, you big dummy!" Tomoe nearly dropped the poor girl in surprise. She was small with large ears. Her fur was soft and dark gray with white streaks that looked suspiciously similar to the marks around her face, though her eyes maintained their golden color. Her bushy tail shook furiously and her dark ears twitched every so often.

"How..." The fox trailed off, too stunned to speak. "How did this happen?!"

"I don't know," Miko replied, her tone panicked. "I was playing outside and I started thinking about all the different animals and suddenly –"

"You were a gerbil?" Tomoe finished with a raised brow. "Ow!" he exclaimed in pain as the young girl bit him on the hand.

Miko looked up at him and even in her current form, Tomoe could see the irritation in her golden eyes. "I'm not a gerbil," she told him firmly. "I'm a chinchilla."

"A what?"

"A chinchilla."

The fox shook his head in disbelief. "A chinchilla," he repeated numbly. Miko attempted a nod, but in the end, settled for a shake of her tail. "And how do you know this?"

"It was the last thing I thought about before I changed," replied the young girl. She was surprisingly calm despite her current situation. For a long moment, Tomoe was silent. He stared at the strange young girl who had managed to transform into a chinchilla. Shaking his head with a sigh, he stood and began heading inside. "Where are we going?"

"Inside," Tomoe replied. "I have to start looking for a doctor who specializes in young girls turning into gerbils."

"I'm a _chinchilla_!"

* * *

"Well," Tomoe prompted the doctor as she studied Miko, who was now sitting on the floor of the main room in the shrine. "What's wrong with her?"

The old woman, a frog yokai, shook her head. "I am inexperienced in dealing with wolf yokai. Their physiology is very different from that of other yokai." Turning Miko over onto her back, the woman continued, "There are no signs of any curses, and she seems in perfect health, for a gerbil –"

"Chinchilla," Miko and Tomoe corrected in unison.

The doctor looked up and nodded apologetically. "Right." She turned her attention back to Miko. "Have you eaten anything strange in the past two days? Tried any new foods?"

Miko was about to reply when Tomoe spoke for her. "I prepare all her meals for her," he said firmly. "There's absolutely nothing in her diet that could have caused this."

"Well..." interjected Miko tentatively, drawing attention back to herself. "There is one thing..." Tomoe's raised eyebrow prompted the young girl despite her hesitation. "I may have... snuckintoyourroomandeatensomeofyourspecialleaveswhileyouweremakingdinnerlastnight." She said the words in a mad rush, her high-pitched voice making it even more difficult to understand her.

The doctor looked at the young girl in confusion, but Tomoe's fox hearing allowed him better understanding. "YOU DID _WHAT_?!" he roared in disbelief. The poor girl began shaking uncontrollably, her whiskers spreading out to their full length; Tomoe had never looked so furious and it terrified her. "Of all the rash, foolish, ridiculous things!" Tomoe threw his hands up in the air in exasperation. "How many times have I told you to stay out of my room? How many times –"

"Master Tomoe!" Suddenly, Onikiri and Kotetsu were standing in front of Miko, shielding her from Tomoe's wrath. The fox's lavender eyes widened as he realized just how much he had upset her. He watched in shock as the shrine spirits turned to Miko with concern. The young girl's sniffles could be heard and Tomoe's ears drooped tritely.

Someone placed a hand on Tomoe's shoulder, causing him to turn. The doctor looked up at the fox solemnly. "Why don't you go get me those leaves?" she said softly. Tomoe was about to argue when he thought better of it. Nodding, he walked out of the main room in silence and made his way to his room.

Tomoe barely noticed the mess as he trudged through his room numbly, kicking aside clutter as he went. He moved towards the dresser where he kept his leaves. Pulling open the drawer, Tomoe pulled out the jar of leaves and studied it.

It had been the only thing left seemingly untouched in the entire room. The jar had been exactly where he always kept it. Tomoe half-suspected that the clever young girl had purposely left the room looking ransacked in order to distract him from the missing leaves. In truth, it might have worked had Miko not been changed into a small, furry rodent.

"Should have turned into a minx instead," Tomoe muttered to himself with a half-smile. His temporary happiness disappeared as he remembered the sound of Miko's whimpers being hushed by Onikiri and Kotetsu.

The fox groaned and fought the urge to smack himself. It was his job to protect Miko from danger, but today Onikiri and Kotetsu had been forced to protect Miko from _him._ Even so, that wasn't the only thing that was bothering him; there was a strange gnawing feeling in his stomach, one he didn't quite understand as he walked down the hallway. Perhaps it was then that the seed was sown; perhaps it was at the moment that story of Miko and Tomoe truly began. Unfortunately for Tomoe, it would be many years before he realized such a thing.

Miko had calmed down considerably by the time Tomoe returned. Even so, he remained silent as he handed the jar to the doctor and moved to stand in the corner with his arms crossed. "How much did you eat?" asked the doctor, glancing down at Miko.

Once again, it was Tomoe who responded, though his voice was monotone. "I keep the jar full at all times," he answered curtly. It was half-empty.

"I see." The frog yokai sighed. "Normally, we'd only have to wait until the leaves pass out of her system and that should be the end of that. However, given the amount she consumed and her unique physiology, I'm afraid that it's uncertain how long Miss Miko will remain in this form, or if the effects will even wear off once the leaves are out of her system."

Tomoe pushed off against the wall. "So you're saying she could be stuck like this forever?" he demanded. The doctor nodded, unfazed by his outburst. Out of the corner of his eye, Tomoe saw Onikiri and Kotetsu move towards Miko warily and he forced himself to remain calm. "It can't be helped," he sighed. "Thank you for your time." The old woman nodded and excused herself.

"Onikiri?" Miko said tentatively, drawing the fox's attention once more. "Could you take me to my room please?" The shrine spirit nodded immediately and picked up the young girl, carrying her out of the room without a word to the fox familiar.

Tomoe made his way out of the main room with a sigh and headed towards the kitchen; he suddenly had an overwhelming craving for sake. Luckily, a sideways glance from Kotetsu convinced the fox that perhaps sake wouldn't be the best option given the current situation. Deciding to settle on green tea, he set about preparing dinner while Kotetsu watched in silence.

Once the tea was ready, Tomoe began to pour himself some. However, after several minutes of judgmental glares at his back, Tomoe sighed and pulled out another cup. Grabbing the milk and honey from the fridge, he set the milk to heat.

"Let me know when it's ready," he ordered Kotetsu before leaving the kitchen, neglecting to notice the male shrine spirit's satisfied smile. When Tomoe reached his destination, he hesitated for a moment. Taking a deep breath and squaring his shoulders, Tomoe knocked on the door. "Miko?" he called tentatively. "Can I come in?"

To his surprise, the door slid open to reveal Onikiri. "Miss Miko does not wish to see you at the moment," she told Tomoe firmly.

"Tell Miko that if she wants to go back to normal, she'll let me in," Tomoe replied. Onikiri paused for a moment before sliding the door shut once more. The sound of unintelligible whispers reached Tomoe's ears and it seemed like an eternity before Onikiri opened the door once more to allow him entry.

Miko was laying down in her bed, almost completely hidden by a mass of blankets. She was facing away from Tomoe and he could see her whiskers twitching furiously as he neared her. "Hurry up and fix me," she ordered him, though her voice was rough.

"I can't," Tomoe admitted. When Onikiri and Miko looked up at him in shock, he explained further, "It's up to you whether or not you return to normal."

Miko sniffled. "What do I have to do?"

"Do you trust me?"

A long moment of silence ensued. Finally, Miko looked up at him, her golden eyes accusing. "Do you promise not to yell at me like that again?"

"Do _you_ promise not to go in my room again?" They both shared a long, determined look, neither refusing to back down. After a while, Miko looked away with an irritated huff. Tomoe smirked and sat down, picking her up. "I'll make you a deal," he conceded as he stroked her soft fur. "If you promise to trust me and _listen_ the next time I tell you something, I'll promise not to lose my temper again." Miko seemed to consider this for a moment, but the day's events and the feeling of being petted had taken away her will to quarrel. She nodded meekly and buried her nose in the crook of Tomoe's arm, inhaling his scent.

"It's a deal then," Tomoe said. Setting down the young girl, he continued, "Now, onto getting you back to normal. It's quite simple, really. All you have to do is close your eyes and think about it."

"I _have_ been thinking about it," she told the fox in exasperation. Obviously, his response was not what she had been expecting.

He gently pushed down on the young girl's head with his forefinger, silencing her. "You said you'd trust me," he reminded her. Miko somehow managed a roll of her eyes but eventually shut them. "Now," continued Tomoe, "picture your normal body. Think about your different features: the length of your hair, the pattern of your tattoos. Think about how it feels to pick things up or walk around."

Miko kept her eyes closed for what seemed like an eternity. After a while, Tomoe began to fear she might actually be trapped like that forever. If that happened, he imagined he could just change her back himself, but Tomoe wasn't sure what the results would be given the number of leaves in her system.

Tomoe was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't even notice the puff of smoke that signaled Miko's change until she had wrapped her arms around his neck in a bear hug, knocking them both to the floor. The fox looked up in surprise, suddenly aware of a warm wetness against his chest. He wrapped his arms around the sobbing girl tentatively. He let her cry on him until she fell asleep.

Just as he stood up and carried her over to the bed, a soft knock on the door caused the familiar to turn his head. "Master Tomoe?" whispered Kotetsu, apparently no longer upset. "The milk is ready."

Sighing, Tomoe set the young girl down and pulled the blankets over her shoulders. "It seems we won't be needing any," he told the shrine spirit. "You and Onikiri may have it if you like." Kotetsu nodded and excused himself. Tomoe watched the young girl sleep for a while before padding silently out of the room.

Stepping into the kitchen, Tomoe nodded to the shrine spirits, who were helping themselves to the warm milk and honey. "I'm going out for a bit," he said. "I should be back before morning, but if Miko wakes let her know that I've gone to run some errands." The spirits nodded in understanding and returned to their drinks as Tomoe slipped on his shoes and left.

* * *

The next week, Miko's parents arrived to bring her home. Neither Miko nor Tomoe said anything about Miko's new "abilities", and both seemed to be in a silent agreement that what happened at Mikage shrine stayed in Mikage shrine.

When the time came for them to leave, Miko wrapped her arms around the fox's waist in a tight hug. "Tomoe?" she said, her voice muffled by the fabric of his kimono. He looked down at Miko with a raised brow. "Can I come to visit you during the summer?"

The fox pretended to consider this, but a warning look from the young girl had him smiling in amusement quickly. "Of course, Miss Miko," he replied. "Oh, I almost forgot." He held up a hand, palm facing up. Suddenly, a small stuffed animal appeared with a puff of smoke. Handing her the gift, he added, "Someone to keep Bisky company. We wouldn't want her to be lonely, would we?"

Miko hugged the stuffed animal to her chest along with Bisky and beamed up at Tomoe. He gave her a knowing smile and nudged her towards her parents, who were waiting by their night carriage. The young girl hopped into the carriage happily and waved at the fox familiar as they flew off.

As they made their way to Izumo, Miko showed her parents her new gift. "That was very kind of Master Tomoe to get you such a lovely birthday present," commented Hikari as she inspected the toy. "Though it certainly is a strange little creature. I wonder where he found a stuffed gerbil."

"Mommy?" Miko said, looking up at her mother with mischief in her golden eyes. "It's a chinchilla."


	6. A Familiar's Promise

Winter came and went; spring brought the singing of birds and blooming of flowers, yet the air in the shrine seemed stagnant, choking. Even Onikiri and Kotetsu seemed listless, an unusual thing for the energetic shrine spirits. Tomoe often found himself making more and more trips to visit the Tanuki girls, but after a while of drinking, he would get bored and go back home.

Summer finally arrived after what seemed like an eternity. Miko's arrival wasn't signaled by much fanfare; she just appeared in the shrine one day, taking breakfast in the main room like she usually did and playing with Bisky and her stuffed chinchilla, whom she had dubbed Killua Chinchillua. The days passed quickly despite their length; every day brought Miko and Tomoe closer to the dreaded date of her return to Izumo.

As the day grew nearer, a strange tension seemed to pervade the air. Playtime would suddenly be interrupted by abrupt realizations of how short their time together was, leading to moments of melancholy throughout the shrine. Even so, both of them were determined to make the most of their time together.

That is, until Yuuto decided to visit.

He arrived under the pretext of missing Miko, but Tomoe suspected it had more to do with his and Miko's parents trying to draw the two closer together. Whatever the reason, both children were ecstatic to see one another. The young girl had practically tackled the poor boy upon seeing him, much to Tomoe's amusement and irritation.

Yuuto Hiroshima was blond with tan skin and crimson eyes. He was surprisingly serious for his age – he would turn eight in December – though he could sometimes be seen cracking a rare smile when he and Miko played together. He was quite tall, especially compared to Miko, who was unusually short for her age. The tattoos around his arms and face reminded Tomoe of waves crashing towards a swirling circle in the center of his forehead.

Yuuto's arrival had been filled with a bit more ceremony than Miko's had. Tomoe, Miko, and the shrine spirits all waited anxiously that afternoon for his arrival. When he did show up, both Yuuto and Tomoe seemed to spend an eternity studying one another as if measuring each other for approval. Miko had groaned about the heat for about ten minutes before finally dragging both boys inside to eat.

After lunch, Miko announced that she and Yuuto would be playing outside. Despite Tomoe's apprehension about the male wolf yokai, he was secretly grateful for the chance to actually get some work done. For a while, things continued in that manner; Miko and Yuuto played in the mornings and afternoons, then Tomoe would join them once his work was finished. Throughout Yuuto's stay, neither he nor Tomoe cared much for one another, but both seemed to reach the silent understanding that, as far as Miko was concerned, they were in agreement.

It took some time to adjust to Yuuto joining on the routine, but both Miko and Tomoe managed to adapt fairly quickly. Thankfully, the summer passed without incident and both Miko and Yuuto returned to Izumo with only a teary farewell – well, Miko was teary, Yuuto seemed more than ready to return home.

Unfortunately, it seemed good times were not destined to last. One stormy fall evening just a few days before Miko was set to return to the shrine, Tomoe got a call from Ryota. "Master Tomoe!" exclaimed the male wolf, sounding frantic. "Is Miko there with you?"

"No," replied the fox, straightening. Ryota's question had caught his attention; Miko wasn't scheduled to return to the shrine for another week. "Has something happened?" he demanded. "Is everything all right?"

"I-I don't know," Ryota stammered out in a panic. "She and Yuuto got into a fight and now she's run off. We don't know where she's gone -" Tomoe slammed the phone into the receiver before Ryota could continue.

Slipping on his shoes, the fox made his way to the back door. "Onikiri! Kotetsu!" Almost immediately, the shrine spirits appeared. "Miko has gone missing," he told the pair urgently. "I have an idea of where she might be, but in case I'm wrong and she comes to the shrine, I need you two to keep her here until I return."

"Yes, Master Tomoe!" The spirits nodded firmly, seeming to sense the urgency in Tomoe's voice.

Without another word, Tomoe rushed outside to the World Over Yonder. _Mikage,_ he thought as he ran along the path. _I don't know if you can hear me or if you even care, but if you can, please help me find her._ Tomoe didn't expect anything to come of the silent prayer as he ran, but had he looked up, Tomoe might have noticed the small butterfly flying above him as a sort of silent guardian.

* * *

The old waterfall had changed quite a bit over the last two years. As Tomoe stared at the cave, he felt his hopes fall flat; there was no way a seven-year-old girl would ever be able to climb up the steep rock, and even if she could, there was no way she'd be able to cut through the dense covering the side of the waterfall in order to find the cave entrance in the perpetual darkness that covered the world of the yokai kind.

Just as Tomoe was about to turn back, he noticed something strange that made him rethink the possibility of Miko being there. _Are those... paw prints?_ Tomoe wondered as he neared the muddy are by the cliff's base. Suddenly he remembered the previous year's adventure. _Could she have...?_ It was possible, he supposed. If the leaves were still affecting her even after all this time, that would indeed change his assumption; true, there was no way a seven-year-old girl could get into that cave, but a young _wolf_... Well, that was another story altogether.

Tomoe studied the rocky structure for a minute. Despite his own considerable skill, Tomoe doubted that he too would be able to climb up in his current form – though, in truth, he didn't really wish to dirty his kimono. Luckily, he had come prepared; Tomoe plucked a leaf out of the pocket of his kimono and placed it over his head.

Suddenly, Tomoe was surrounded by a puff of smoke. He was suddenly several feet shorter with sleek silvery fur. He glanced down at his paws and extended his claws, swiping at the air. He moved towards the pool in order to get a better view of his reflection. The moonlight was dim, but his already sharp eyesight had been increased, so it wasn't all that difficult to see in the darkness.

 _Here we go,_ Tomoe thought with a sigh as he placed a paw on the rock. He found it surprisingly easy to climb up the rocks in this form as well as cut through the foliage, though he suspected the latter was in part due to Miko's own claws as well. Despite his improved eyesight, it still took Tomoe's eyes a minute to adjust to the darkness of the cave. Once he had adapted, however, he immediately noticed a pair of golden eyes shining out of the darkness. _Miko._

She watched him with wary curiosity for a moment. Suddenly, a wave of realization seemed to crash over Miko. Her ears picked up and her head, which had previously been low to the ground, raised excitedly. "Tomoe?" she said in surprise.

"Miko!" Tomoe exclaimed in relief. Suddenly, he was on the floor looking up at Miko's muzzle as she licked him in excitement, her tail wagging wildly. After a few moments, she seemed to calm down and stepped away from him. Once Tomoe was able to stand again, he looked the young girl over.

She was about Tomoe's size, with black fur on her back and tail. Her head and paws were covered in white fur and she had a long white stripe running down her back and tail. A patch of black fur in the shape of a diamond similar to the tattoos on her face and neck in her normal form was placed in the center of her forehead. Miko shifted from paw to paw excitedly as her golden eyes gleamed at the fox.

"I'm so glad you found me!" exclaimed the young wolf. "It's scary here in the dark."

"Then perhaps you shouldn't have run away," scolded the fox. Motioning for her to follow him, Tomoe turned towards the cave entrance and continued, "Come. Your parents are worried sick."

Suddenly, the air in the cave changed. Miko stepped back, hackles raised and tail between her legs. "I-I can't," she argued. The young girl shut her eyes and shook her head firmly. "I'm not going back!"

Miko winced as Tomoe's paw came down on her head. When she opened her eyes he was glaring at her in irritation. "Don't be ridiculous," he told her as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I came here to bring you home. Everyone is looking for you, and even if they weren't, you can't stay here by yourself."

"Why not?!" Miko demanded furiously.

"Because you can't!" Tomoe glared at her. "You're just a child; there's no way you could live out here on your own."

"Then let me stay with you!"

Tomoe stared at her in shock. He had not been expecting that response at all. It was ridiculous, so much more than he ever dared consider, that the thought never crossed his mind that Miko might have felt that way. It was impossible; she was just a child, and Tomoe was in no way qualified to take care of children. Besides, her parents would never allow it. And why would they? A wolf yokai being cared for by the fox familiar of an abandoned shrine. Tomoe couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculousness of it all.

Even so, as he stared into Miko's pleading eyes and remembered how empty the shrine felt when she was gone, Tomoe wanted to say yes. He wanted the shrine to be filled with laughter all the time, not just for a few months out of the year. He didn't want to count down the long, painful hours until he had someone else to talk to. But most of all, Tomoe didn't want to be alone again.

"You can't," he told her, turning away.

"Why not?!" Miko repeated, tears filling her eyes. "We have fun together, and I could help you out at the shrine. Mommy taught me a lot in the past year. I could clean and –"

"That's enough, Miko," he said firmly. "You can't stay at the shrine and that's that. You have to go home eventually. Now let's go. I'll inform your parents that I've found you and they'll arrive to pick you up in a bit."

"So I can go and marry Yuuto?" Tomoe froze. In that moment, Miko didn't sound seven years old; she sounded over a hundred. After what seem like an eternity, he finally turned around to look at Miko, who was now sitting up and watching her tail. She was still the same, small and childish, but the look in her eyes made her look fully grown, and it made Tomoe feel ancient.

"When did they tell you?" he asked softly.

Miko glanced up at him. "They didn't." She didn't need to ask who 'they' were; both of them knew he meant her parents. "Yuuto and I got into a fight. He said that when we were grown up, he was gonna marry me and buy me a bunch of dolls, but I got mad and told him that I was never gonna get married. Then he said that our parents promised each other that we would get married." As Miko spoke, tears rolled down her face, streaking her muzzle with dark marks.

"I see," was all the fox said as he watched her carefully.

"I don't wanna marry Yuuto, Tomoe," Miko sobbed out. "I wanna stay with you and Onikiri and Kotetsu and visit you every summer and –" Tomoe wasn't sure if he'd turned back to normal before or after Miko's words turned into unintelligible sobs, but suddenly he was holding the young pup in his lap, stroking her fur and hushing her. They stayed like that for a long time until Miko finally managed to calm down.

After a few minutes of silence, Tomoe finally spoke. "I'm glad to see you've learned a new form," he commented. Miko nodded but remained silent. At some point, she too had returned to normal and had wrapped her arms around him as she sobbed into his chest. Tomoe sighed and grabbed the young girl by the shoulders gently, pushing her away so he could see her tear-stained face. "You know that I'm always going to protect you right?" Miko nodded softly. "And if you don't want to marry Yuuki –"

 _"Yuuto."_

"Right." Tomoe nodded. "If you don't want to marry him, then..." He paused for a moment, thinking of what to say next. "Then you can marry me instead."

Miko looked up at the familiar skeptically. "If this is how you're going to propose, then I'll have to decline," she told him firmly. Tomoe laughed; Miko Tachibana really was far too old for her years.

Lifting her off his lap, Tomoe stood and took Miko by the hand as he led her out of the cave. Getting back down was far easier than getting up the rock, even with a small girl piggybacking on him. Once they were safely on the ground, Tomoe ordered Miko to stand perfectly still with her eyes closed. After ensuring that there was no foul play from the young girl, Tomoe set about completing his task.

"Okay," Tomoe said after a while. "You can look now." Miko opened her eyes to see Tomoe kneeling before her, a small ring made of leaves and flowers in his palm. The moon had decided to come out from behind the clouds and its reflection in the pool illuminated both Miko and Tomoe with a silvery glow. "Miko Tachibana," he said in a formal, almost mocking tone. "Will you do me the stupendous, amazing, tremendous, awe-inspiring, unbelievable, incredible," – by the time Tomoe paused to take a breath, Miko was already in a fit of giggles – "honor of marrying me?"

Miko pretended to consider this for a moment. "I don't know," she replied, placing a hand on her chin. "I'm not entirely sure I want to marry such a perverted dummyhead." The words were harsh, but her playful tone and wide grin softened the insult.

Tomoe returned the smile and retorted, "Well, I'm not entirely sure I want to marry such a troublesome brat. But," he added, placing the ring on Miko's finger. "If you agree to put up with me, I'll agree to put up with you."

The young girl nodded in a fit of giggles. "It's a deal," she replied.

With that, Tomoe took her by the hand and led Miko through the forest back home. "You know something?" he said as they walked.

"What?" Miko asked, looking up at him.

"Hiroshima is a terrible last name anyway."

* * *

In the end, Miko's parents were so relieved that she had been found, they didn't even bother to scold her for running away. Tomoe had also managed to persuade them to allow her to stay at the shrine until after Kamuhakari was over, much to both his and Miko's happiness. After a while, Yuuto and Miko's engagement was forgotten, and the young girl returned to Izumo without a care in the world. Even so, Miko continued to wear the ring Tomoe had given her long after the fall had ended, and her parents often caught her staring at it with a strange expression.

The year passed too slowly for Miko and Tomoe's tastes, and each found themselves counting the remaining days of spring until summer finally returned. Eventually, that too passed far too quickly and the pair was left waiting anxiously for the arrival of October. Perhaps if they had known what would happen during that fateful October visit, both Miko and Tomoe might have appreciated their time together even more.

Unfortunately, neither one of them knew what was to come, and in the end both Miko and Tomoe were both left wishing for time to turn back so that they could have at least realized what they had as they played at Mikage shrine under the watchful eye of a mysterious butterfly.


	7. A Familiar's News

When Miko returned the shrine the following year, Tomoe barely recognized her. She had grown significantly since July, and her long black hair now reached below her waist. She now wore it in a simple ponytail rather than her old braided pigtails, insisting that the look was far more "grown-up". Tomoe merely smirked at the comment and replied that Miko had quite a bit longer before she was truly grown up, which usually led to him receiving a thwack on the head with a stick.

Earlier that year, a large group of yokai had been attacking low-level shrines for reasons unknown and lately the attacks had been getting more and more brazen. The seven gods of fortune were deeply troubled by this, so they convened to discuss the situation as Kamuhakari drew closer. It was decided that the attacks were an attempt to scare the gods into canceling the meeting at Izumo. Not to be intimidated by a group of lowly yokai, the seven gods decided merely to postpone Kamuhakari as a precaution.

Some viewed this as a wise decision, while others claimed that such pride would lead to the downfall of the gods. Regardless, everyone agreed that what happened on the final day of Kamuhakari was a tragedy in the lives of all who were involved.

However, these attacks were the furthest thing from Miko and Tomoe's minds as they played together that fateful day. Winter had already started to set in, and the leaves had fallen from their branches to form huge piles which Miko loved to jump into.

Miko and Tomoe were playing in a particularly large pile of leaves that day. They had been taking turns to see who could scatter the most leaves. "Hurry up, dummy!" Miko called from a few feet away as Tomoe finished gathering the leaves into a pile once more.

"I'm going as fast as I can," retorted the fox, jogging over to the porch where Onikiri and Kotetsu were waiting. The shrine spirits had been designated the judges for the competition in order to prevent any foul play, but Tomoe suspected they were slightly biased. Once they were ready, Miko took a few steps back and readied herself. "Hurry up!" Tomoe called after a minute, echoing Miko's earlier impatience.

The dark-haired girl shot him a dirty look before running towards the pile at full speed. With a yell, Miko jumped into the pile and scattered the leaves in the air. "Ten out of ten!" exclaimed Onikiri and Kotetsu in unison. Tomoe rolled his eyes and walked towards the pile to help Miko gather the leaves once more.

The young girl stood and began pushing the leaves together with a pleased expression. Tomoe stood back and watched her in amusement for a while before reaching down and plucking leaves out of her hair and green kimono. Once the leaves had been piled up again, Miko scurried to the side as Tomoe jogged over to the starting point.

Tomoe studied the pile for a moment. At a not-so-polite prompting from Miko, Tomoe grinned and rushed towards the pile. Leaves flew into the air wildly, seeming to create a rainfall of leaves as they crashed back down. Miko and Tomoe glanced at Onikiri and Kotetsu for their opinions.

"Four," the spirits said in an unimpressed tone.

"What?!" Tomoe exclaimed indignantly, sitting up as Miko giggled wildly. "That was way higher than hers. I call favoritism!" Before he could complain further, a flash of black and green blocked Tomoe's view. The fox let out a breath of air as Miko leaped onto him with a laugh. "I've been hit!" declared the fox playfully. "I can see the light at the end of the tunnel."

Miko smacked Tomoe's chest playfully before snuggling into his side. Tomoe smirked and ran his hand through Miko's hair, lifting a few black strands into the sunlight. "Hey, Tomoe?" Miko asked as she looked up at the sky.

"Hmm?" Tomoe prompted as he continued playing with her hair.

"Do you think it'll snow?"

Tomoe looked up at her question. The sun was out, but a blanket of dark clouds were visible in the distance. The air was cool, but not so cold that they needed to bundle up too much. "Maybe," he replied. "I think it'll have to get a little colder first, though."

"I hope it snows soon," Miko said, burrowing into his side for warmth. Tomoe nodded but said nothing. The pair stayed like that for a while, Miko looking up at the sky and Tomoe playing with her hair. Unfortunately, the peace was not meant to last forever.

Tomoe sensed the intruder before he saw him, but it was what he heard that made him move. "Master Tomoe, look out!" exclaimed Onikiri and Kotetsu. Tomoe grabbed Miko and jumped out of the way just in time for a very sharp knife to lodge itself in the ground where they had been lying.

Setting Miko down, Tomoe stepped in front of her protectively and glared into the shadows of the trees. "Who's there?" he called out. "If you reveal yourself now, I'll consider showing you mercy."

Deep laughter rumbled throughout the shrine as a menacing figure appeared from the tree line. He was huge with sharp claws, wild hair, and two long horns growing from his head. He looked almost human except for his scaly green skin and lack of two fingers on each hand. He wore only a tiger-skin loincloth and carried an iron club in one hand. Tomoe stiffened. _An oni._ The yokai had a malicious grin on his face and he stroked his bushy brown beard as another roar of laughter passed through him.

"Is that so?" he laughed. "I think you should be the one begging for mercy here, fox." Tomoe stiffened but remained impassive. "Do you really think a tame little fox like you can best me, Hachirou, the most powerful oni ever?"

At this, Tomoe scoffed. "Most powerful oni ever?" he echoed with a snort. "I seriously doubt that." Tomoe smirked as the demon roared in fury and ran at him. The fox stepped to the side, easily dodging him, but his lavender eyes widened when he realized his mistake.

The white-haired fox moved towards the oni, but it was too late. The demon scooped up Miko, who had not had time to react to the attack, and laughed. "They were right about you, little fox," cackled the demon, holding one sharp claw to Miko's throat. "You really are too proud." Tomoe glared at Hachirou, but he didn't dare move forward.

"Let me go!" Miko demanded, drawing Tomoe's attention. She was squirming madly against Hachirou's grip. She glared at the oni, her golden eyes filled with an unrecognizable fury. "Put me down, you big dummy!"

Hachirou's laughter echoed throughout the shrine. "Sorry, brat," he snarled, holding his claws closer to Miko's neck. "But I can't do that."

"Don't you touch her," Tomoe growled, glaring at the oni. Despite his act, both Tomoe and Hachirou knew there was nothing the fox could do. Tomoe glanced at Miko helplessly. She was still glaring at the demon, but Tomoe could see the terror in her golden eyes. Suddenly, something flicked by Miko's legs.

 _Her tail._ Tomoe's eyes widened. "Miko," he said, his voice dangerously calm. The young girl looked at him, surprised by his tone. Tomoe's lavender eyes met her golden ones, his gaze firm. When he was sure he had her attention, Tomoe said only one word. "Chinchilla."

Miko understood immediately. She nodded and closed her eyes, stilling herself. The demon looked down, surprised by the sudden change in Miko's attitude. However, by the time he looked down it was already too late.

Rather than holding an eight-year-old girl by the throat, Hachirou found a small black and white cat perched on his shoulder glaring at him. "What the –" Suddenly, Miko pounced at Hachirou, clawing at his face with her sharp claws. Hachirou screamed and ripped the cat off his face, flinging her towards the forest.

"Miko!" Tomoe exclaimed as the young girl flew back, hitting the tree with an audible thud. Miko whimpered lightly, signaling that she was alright, and the shrine spirits raced over to her. Tomoe turned back to the demon and bared his teeth as fire flicked from his hands. "You'll pay for that, demon."

The young girl stared in horror as Tomoe unleashed his fox fire on the demon. "No," she said. "Tomoe, stop... You're scaring me again..." Bright blue flames engulfed Hachirou and the stench of burning skin reached Miko's nose. She tried to stand and moved towards Tomoe, but her legs gave out.

"Miss Miko!" exclaimed Onikiri, rushing forward to catch the girl. "You mustn't strain yourself. You're injured."

Miko ignored the shrine spirit's warning and continued try to move forward despite her blurry eyesight. "I have to... get to... Tomoe..." The young girl collapsed onto the ground once more. She laid down on her side, breathing heavily. "Tomoe..." Miko breathed out once more before her eyes closed and she was encased in almost complete darkness, save for flashes of bright blue fire behind her eyelids.

* * *

"How is she?" Tomoe's voice was the first thing Miko heard when she woke up. His voice was close, right next to her judging by its volume. He sounded concerned.

"A few bruised ribs, but she'll be alright," replied a female voice. It took a moment, but Miko recognized it as the yokai doctor who had helped her when she had been a chinchilla. "I imagine she'll be waking up any minute now." Tomoe must have nodded or made some sort of noise, because the old woman continued, "It's lucky she changed back to normal when she passed out. I'm allergic to cats."

Tomoe apparently wasn't amused because he merely replied, "Thank you. I can take it from here." The old woman excused herself and left. Once the woman was gone, Miko let her eyes flutter open. Tomoe was sitting over her, his lavender eyes filled with concern. "Hey there," he said softly to the black-haired girl. "How are you feeling?"

"My tummy hurts," replied Miko, her voice equally soft. She tried to sit up, Tomoe held her back. "Tomoe?" He looked at her with worry. "I gotta pee."

The fox familiar blinked and looked at Miko, surprised. After a minute, he shook his head and chuckled, releasing her. Miko thanked him and stood, but before she could go anywhere, the door to the main room flew open. Tomoe stood and tensed up, ready to defend against the newest intruder, but Miko recognized the him immediately.

"Lord Ookuninushi," she said, kneeling down.

Tomoe remained standing and glared at the blond man warily. "What are you doing here?" he demanded. "Shouldn't you be at Kamuhakari?"

Ookuninushi's expression was filled with concern. "I got your message and rushed over immediately," he explained, moving towards the young girl. "Miko, are you alright?"

Tomoe stepped in front of him with a glare, effectively blocking Miko from his view. He released a bit of fox fire into his hand as he spoke, "I sent a dove out to Izumo less than ten minutes ago," he growled. "Even if it flew at full speed, there's no way you could have gotten the message, read it, and gotten here that quickly. So, who the hell are you?"

The blond man was silent for a moment, considering the question. After what seemed like an eternity, he laughed, a deep menacing sound. "I suppose it's my own fault for trying to fool a fox," declared the creature, his green eyes turning a deep shade of crimson. "I would tell you who I am, but there's really no point in giving my name to a dead man!" With that, the creature lunged at Tomoe, his fingers elongating into claws.

Before Tomoe could move to defend himself, however, something pierced through the creature's chest. Tomoe's lavender eyes widened as he recognized the weapon – an arrowhead made completely of wind. The creature collapsed to the ground, crimson eyes wide and dissolved into a pile of ash.

"I _really_ hate fake people," commented a familiar voice as another gust of wind blew away the ash. Tomoe looked up to see Otohiko rolling his eyes in annoyance. "Honestly, it's better to just be yourself."

"Lord Otohiko," Miko said, stepping out from behind Tomoe. "What are you doing here?" Before he could respond, another familiar face appeared beside the wind god. "Lord Ookuninushi?" Tomoe stiffened once more, but Otohiko tried to reassure the fox.

"It's alright," he said. "Lord Ookuninushi asked me to bring him here."

"Why?" demanded the fox, still wary after the previous events.

Ookuninushi and Otohiko shared a grim look before turning back to Tomoe. "Izumo has been attacked by yokai," Ookuninushi finally explained. "We rushed over here as soon as we could in order to make sure Miko was safe, but it appears we arrived too late."

"What?" exclaimed Miko at the same time Tomoe said, "Why would they attack Miko?"

A long silence ensued. Finally, Ookuninushi spoke. "The yokai... they weren't trying to intimidate us as we'd thought," he said. "They'd been gathering information on wolf yokai."

"Why?" demanded Miko. Tomoe glanced down at the girl in surprise; she was unusually calm given the present situation.

"We don't know," Ookuninushi replied. "All we know is that during the attack, your parents were the main targets. The yokai almost completely ignored the gods and other familiars unless they tried to help."

"Are my parents okay?" Silence. "Lord Ookuninushi, please," Miko begged. "Are my parents alright?" The blond god refused to meet her eyes, so Miko turned her golden gaze on Otohiko. "Lord Otohiko?"

The wind god sighed. "Miko," he began sadly. "I'm sorry to tell you this, but your parents were killed during the attack on Kamuhakari."


	8. A Familiar's Loss

The sudden stillness that filled the room made Miko want to scream. "Miko?" Ookuninushi tried, moving towards the young girl. "Are you alright?" Miko hadn't realized she'd been shaking until the god bent down and placed his hands on her shoulders. She wanted to push him away, to tell him not to touch her, but she was frozen with shock.

Luckily, Tomoe was able to read her mind. He stepped between the pair and pulled Miko out of Ookuninushi's reach. "Of course she's not alright," hissed Tomoe. "She just found out her parents were –" The fox stopped himself, realizing what he had been about to say. The tension in the room grew impossibly more, until Miko felt as though she would choke on it.

"Killed," she managed to finish for him, drawing the adults' attention to her place where she looked out the window. "My parents were killed. You can say it." She was calm – too calm. The sort of calm that only came before the worst of storms, though Tomoe didn't think there could possibly be anything worse than what was going on right then.

A long silence ensued. Tomoe watched Miko watch the dark clouds. He recalled the young girl's wish for snow earlier that week and wanted to laugh bitterly. _'Snow is so fun,'_ she'd said with a bright smile. _'Good things always happen when it snows.'_

Tomoe wanted to throw something.

The snow was coming and Miko's bright smile seemed to have died with her parents. Nothing good was coming, nothing good would probably ever come again for the pair. Just as the thought passed through Tomoe's mind, Ookuninushi cleared his throat.

"Ahem," he coughed softly, drawing everyone's attention. "Master Tomoe, as... difficult as this time is for Miko, we should move quickly to ensure her safety."

"Ensure her safety?" Tomoe echoed, his expression a mixture of confusion and annoyance. Ookuninushi usually sent chills down his spine, but now the blond god's own careful expression gave him a very bad feeling.

Ookuninushi nodded and gestured for Otohiko to explain. The wind god looked pained but obliged , as usual. "Lord Ookuninushi thinks it would be best to have Miko return to Izumo..." He paused and glanced at Miko who had also turned to look at them. Otohiko's brown eyes were filled with a sorrowful pity so unlike his usual flamboyance that it made Tomoe's stomach turn. "Permanently."

" _WHAT_?!" Tomoe and Miko exclaimed at the same time. "No!" Miko continued, a mixture of fury and pleading in her own golden eyes. "I want to stay here with Tomoe!"

Lord Ookuninushi sighed and looked at the young girl, silently pleading for her to stop arguing. "Miko, Master Tomoe can't protect you the way I can. You're safer with me."

"Safer with you?!" she exclaimed, stepping forward angrily. "My parents were killed at your stupid shrine!" The next moments seemed to happen in a blur. All Miko could see was Ookuninushi's raised hand and the flash of fury in his eyes before Tomoe was in front of her, holding Ookuninushi's raised hand by the wrist.

"Don't." The warning simple, delivered in the calmest tone, but Miko recognized that tone. It frightened her and made her feel safe all at once. She'd first heard that tone when she was five and young yokai boy had teased her, calling her human. It occurred once more when she was six, though this time it was directed at her and it had scared her half out of her wits. The most recent occurrence was directed at the oni who'd attacked them.

Now Tomoe was using the same tone on Lord Ookuninushi and the message was clear: _Touch her and I will destroy you._ Miko felt shivers run down her spine; an oni was one thing, but Lord Ookuninushi was a whole other creature. Tomoe would surely be killed, wouldn't he?

Luckily, Miko wasn't the only one who realized this. "Gentlemen," Otohiko said, interrupting the intense stare-down between the two. "Why don't we discuss this like civilized folk, maybe in a more private location?" He nodded to Miko and widened his eyes, signaling for them to knock it off.

Tomoe continued glaring down at Ookuninushi but nodded. "Miko, go to your room," he ordered, never breaking the blond god's gaze.

"But-"

"Go." The word was harsh and rough and even though Miko knew his anger wasn't directed at her, she felt her heart sink a little. The fox must have sensed that he upset her, because he immediately turned and flashed her a soft smile. "I'll take care of this." Miko smiled brightly and nodded, scurrying out of the room. She ran straight to her room and crawled into bed.

For a long moment, she lay there waiting for Tomoe to return and tell her that she would be staying with him from then on. She considered her parents, but she did not cry. Her mother always said it was improper for a lady to a cry in front of others and she didn't want Otohiko or Lord Ookuninushi to hear her. She sniffled a little, but she refused to cry. If she cried and someone saw her, Tomoe might think she was still too little to stay with him.

What seemed like eternity passed and Miko could no longer stand the curiosity. She closed her eyes and a moment later, she had become a mouse, scurrying under the door all the way to just outside where the others were talking. She could hear Tomoe and Lord Ookuninushi arguing easily, though Lord Otohiko was nowhere to be heard.

"We had an agreement, Tomoe," Lord Ookuninushi tried to reason. "You will watch over Miko until she is of age to marry Yuuto."

"She's eight!" exclaimed Tomoe. "Her parents just died, she needs stability and safety, not a husband!"

"All the more reason she should return to Izumo. She'll stay with the Hiroshima family until the situation is sorted out, then she and Yuuto will enter into my service as my familiars." Ookuninushi paused and took a breath. "Look around you, Tomoe. You live in a run-down shrine with no god and two virtually useless shrine spirits. What part of any of this says 'safety and stability' to you? This place isn't fit to house a child under normal circumstances, let alone a virtually extinct species being hunted down by yokai."

There was a long silence. Miko could feel the tension in the air as she waited, holding her breath so as not to be heard by Tomoe's sensitive ears. When he did finally speak, Miko felt a sort of terror run through her for Lord Ookuninushi.

"I won't let you take her," growled Tomoe in a low voice. The room beyond Miko took on a blueish glow and she knew it was Tomoe's fox fire, intentional or not. "She belongs here at the shrine."

"Oh really?" Ookuninushi replied. "Miko Tachibana, one of the last pure-blooded members of the wolf yokai, belongs in a run-down, godless shrine?" He scoffed. "Don't forget Tomoe, Mikage left. That's cause for treason. I haven't done anything out of courtesy and respect for you and your old master, but don't think I won't shut this place down if I have to."

Tomoe let out another low, guttural growl. "Is that a threat, Ookuninushi?"

"If I have to make it one."

Miko felt her heart skip a beat. Tomoe could lose the shrine? Ookuninushi couldn't do that, could he? Of course he could, he's the leader of the gods, he could do whatever he wanted. The young girl started tearing up and stepped back. _This is all my fault,_ she sniffled. _Maybe I should just leave so Tomoe doesn't have to worry about me anymore..._

"Miko?" Tomoe's voice startled the young wolf and she took off running. Miko heard the fox familiar call out once more and open the door, but she had already turned into a wolf and made it outside. "Miko, I know you're there." Tomoe stepped down the hallway. He was annoyed with the situation and it was showing in his tone. He felt so helpless in the face of Ookuninushi's threat.

Tomoe frowned at the silent stillness of the shrine. It was calm, too calm considering the presence of the spitfire wolf girl. "Miko, this isn't funny."

Ookuninushi and Otohiko stepped out and looked around, confused. "Where is she?" asked Ookuninushi, frowning.

"I don't know." Tomoe rushed to her room, but it was empty. "Miko!" Bisky and Killua lay on the mat, untouched from where she had left them this afternoon. There were no signs of struggle, but the door to the outside had been left wide open. Tomoe ran outside and looked around. There was only one set of tracks leading to the forest. _She ran away? But... why?_

Tomoe barely noticed when the two gods rushed outside next to Tomoe. "Find her," ordered Ookuninushi, but Tomoe was already running. He sent out his fox flames and the three began searching.

Hours passed. The search continued to no avail. Tomoe searched the caves, the World Over Yonder, even Yuuto's shrine, but Miko was nowhere to be found. Eventually Otohiko had to restrain him in order to bring him back to the shrine.

That was it. Miko was gone, and he was alone again. Tomoe walked back into Miko's room after the gods had returned to Izumo. He glanced down at the stuffed toys and suddenly he was on the floor, tears streaming down his face.

Tomoe stayed like that for the rest of the night, sobbing. Even after he stopped crying, he would spend a very long time simply laying there, staring at the world outside.

It was snowing.

* * *

Miko had been running for hours. Her paws ached from the cold, hard ground, her coat was wet and stunk like wet dog. She staggered to a stop against one of the trees, trying to catch her breath, but she was tired, oh so tired...

"Hello?" Miko's eyes fluttered open at the unfamiliar. She seemed to have returned to her normal form after falling asleep. "Are you okay?" Miko studied the young boy before her. He had red hair and pretty onyx eyes. Miko's eyes widened as she noted the pair of small black wings on the boy's back. _A Tengu._

"I'm fine. Who are you, Tengu?" Miko asked as she stood, towering over the boy by about an inch.

He glared at her and rubbed his arms together. "My name is Shinjiro. I descended from Mt. Kurama."

"Oh," was all she said. "So you ran away from home too?"

Shinjiro nodded. "I'm still too little even though I should be full grown, so I left. Who are you?"

"My... My name is Miko," she said. "My parents died and I have nowhere to go." Shinjiro nodded as if he understood the situation, though Miko doubted he did.

"I guess you can stay with me then," he told her. "We can help each other."

Miko nodded and smiled. "Thank you Shinjiro. It looks like my mom was right." The young Tengu raised an eyebrow, looking confused, and Miko smiled brightly. "She said good things always happen when it snows. You're my good thing, Shinjiro."

"Oh." He blushed, but Miko couldn't tell if it was from her words or the cold. "I guess you're right. Now, come on. Oh, and from now on, call me Kurama."


	9. A Familiar's Memory

"Shin. Jir. O!" Ko growled as she pounced onto Kurama's bed. "Get! Up!" The Tengu groaned and rolled over, glaring at her. "We're going to be late for school!"

"So?" he grunted, shifting onto his stomach. "You're the one who's so obsessed with going to school. Don't you think you're a little old for that anyway?" Kurama hugged his pillow closer, his black wings spread out to their full length across the bed. "And I told you to call me Kurama, damn it!"

Immediately, the black-haired woman sat up and crossed her arms, her golden eyes boring a hole into the Tengu's back. "I'm old, am I?" The air around her was crackling with danger and Kurama shuddered, turning to look at her once more. This time, however, his gaze was filled with sheepish fear. He didn't even get a chance to respond before he was assaulted by a heavy hit to the head. "You're older than me, you jerk!"

"Ah, I'm sorry!" The crow yokai sat up quickly and bowed. "Please forgive me!" Ko huffed and turned away, but didn't attack again. Kurama sat up and studied her, frowning a little. "You're in a worse mood than usual this morning." Again, she said nothing. She simply scowled out the window, her arms and legs crossed. "Is it because we're here?"

Ko relaxed slightly when he placed a hand on her shoulder and nodded. "This place... We haven't been here in years." Kurama said nothing when she stood, walking to the window. Even from the third floor of the mansion, Ko could hear the screams of eager fans waiting down below. She ignored them, however, looking off into the distance at the high school and the old shrine next to it. _Is he still there?_ Her mind danced through memories from years ago. Ko wondered if he had seen her on TV, had maybe realized she was back in town. She doubted it. Twelve years was a long time, even for yokai, and she had since stopped chasing butterflies. Ko shook her head and turned to give Kurama a weak smile. "Come on, Shinjiro. We should get ready for school."

* * *

The entrance to the school was filled with screaming fans when they arrived. Most of them were female, but plenty of boys showed up as well. Reporters lined the street, hoping to get a comment from the pair of celebrities. Ko and Kurama stepped out of the car, each already adopting their idol persona. Ko smiled at the crowd, waving and interacting with them as they screamed her name. Kurama maintained his air of mystery and merely posed for a picture or signed an autograph here or there. At one point, he pulled Ko by the waist and kissed her cheek, seeming unfazed by the uproar of the crowd. Ko blushed and looked away sheepishly, pushing him away.

Once they were inside and away from prying eyes, he immediately moved away from her, smirking. "You overdid it."

"You kissed my cheek." She smiled and looked around. "Head on to class. I need to use the bathroom." He nodded, looking her over once more. She smiled, knowing that he was still worried. "I'm fine, Kurama." She gently punched his arm. "Get going, or you'll be late." This seemed to satisfy him because he turned and walked off towards their classroom. She wandered around for a bit before she found the bathroom. She stepped inside and looked in the mirror, studying herself. In her mind's eye, she saw a young girl with waist-length black hair and eyes the color of molten gold. Black markings ran along the pale skin of her arms and face, meeting at the diamond on her forehead.

This was not the girl she saw in the mirror. Her jet black hair was now loose, but it only ran to her shoulders. Yokai glamour had dimmed her golden eyes to a bright hazel and masked her tattoos. Twelve years had aged her into a young woman, but her heart had not forgotten the time of her youth. She sighed and released the glamour, allowing her marks to appear in earnest. They had grown as she did, becoming more intricate until they appeared as black filigree going up her arms and legs, across her shoulders, and up her neck and face to where the diamond in the center rested. Now that she was fully mature, the markings were very similar to those of her mother, or at least what Ko remembered of her. Her memories of her childhood were muddled as the memories of children often are. After twelve years, she was beginning to have trouble remembering the faces of her past. Only _his_ face remained clear. Ko told herself that was only because of the way things ended between them.

Before she could reflect further or return the glamour, the door to the bathroom burst open. Ko dove into one of the stalls and closed the door. She scooted as far away from the door as possible, trying to stay quiet. Thankfully, the girl seemed to be too absorbed in her own crying to notice the noise. Ko paused, wondering if she should go comfort whoever was crying. She took a deep breath and restored her glamour, but she was stopped by an all-too-familiar voice.

"Nanami." _No._ It was impossible. She must have been so caught up in her own memories that she imagined it. Ko was all but certain of it until he spoke again. "Did those humans bully you or something?" No, it was real. _He_ was real. But why was he in a girls' bathroom at a local high school?

"W-Why are you here, Tomoe?" Ko's breath caught in her throat as the girl - Nanami, she assumed - confirmed her suspicions. Nanami sniffled and Miko moved away from the door, worried she might be noticed.

"I was worried, so I came to see how you're doing." That was a lie. She had heard Tomoe's concern before, seen it for herself. It sounded nothing like this. This almost sounded... smug.

Nanami sniffled again before speaking. "Kurama said something really mean to me because you made me wear this weird hood."

Once again, Tomoe spoke in that smug tone of his. "If you already to got to meet this Kurama, there's no need for you to be here anymore, right? Don't force yourself." Perhaps to a normal human, he might have sounded concerned, but Ko knew he was just trying to have his way. She recognized that tone far too easily. "Let's go back to the shrine." Ko frowned. What was Tomoe's connection to that girl? She was just a human, after all, so what would she be doing at the shrine? A twinge of jealousy filled her, but she didn't recognize it enough to notice.

"You lied, Tomoe." Nanami's voice broke Ko out of her thoughts. "Even though I'm crying, you're still smiling. You don't worry about me at all." Ko heard Tomoe inhale sharply at the accusation, but he didn't respond. Unknown to her, Tomoe no longer saw Nanami's teary face when she looked at him. For just a moment, he was staring at a defiant young wolf yokai who had been bullied by an ignorant boy in the World Over Yonder. Nanami didn't say anything else before storming out of the bathroom. For a long moment, Tomoe merely stood there, remembering his own past. Finally, he sighed and retreated out the window.

Once he was gone, Ko stepped out of the bathroom cautiously, looking around to make sure no one else was there. To her surprise, Kurama was waiting outside with a strange expression on his face. "What are you doing here?"

He jumped up, seeming surprised at her sudden appearance. "You were taking forever. I came to get you."

Ko nodded then narrowed her eyes. "I heard you were making fun of someone."

"It was just a bit of fun." Kurama scoffed. Ko shook her head and walked away. "Ko, wait!" He followed after the wolf yokai, but she ignored him and walked straight into the classroom towards the girl she assumed to be Nanami by the ridiculous hood on her head.

"Excuse me." Ko smiled, interrupting what seemed to be a squabble between the girl and a friend of hers. She was holding a wad of money and looking surprised, but they both looked up at Ko, seeming shocked that the celebrity would even acknowledge them.

Nanami's eyes widened, then dimmed, seeming wary. "Don't tell me, I'm in your seat too?"

Ko shook her head and smiled apologetically. "No, nothing like that. I just wanted to apologize for Kurama's behavior." She bowed to the human girl. "He can be mean sometimes, and there's no excuse for it."

Nanami blinked in surprise, but nodded and returned the smile. "It's alright. I appreciate your apology." She sounded like she was about to continue further when Kurama spoke up from his seat.

"I lost three of my ten thousand yen bills," he said, flipping through his wallet. "How strange." Immediately, several of the girls surrounding his chair began looking around hurriedly, each one eager to be the one to find his money. Ko rolled her eyes and turned back to Nanami, but the brown-haired girl was now looking down at the wad of money in her hands with wide eyes. Ko's eyes widened. _That's... exactly thirty thousand yen._ She turned back to Kurama, who was smirking at her victoriously. _He's always so damn stubborn when he's on a mean streak._

The other girls in the class seemed to notice the money in Nanami's hand and were now looking at her accusingly. Ko glared at Kurama, urging him to do something. "Hold on a moment," he called out and stood, moving to stand near Nanami. "I just remembered, I gave Nanami that money since she told me she doesn't have any money to buy bread." Nanami shook her head imperceptibly, looking horrified. "Isn't that right, Nanami?" His tone was too sweet to be sincere. Ko almost growled out loud, and it looked as though Nanami might cry once more.

Suddenly, a parade of people entered the room. "Lady Nanami, forgive me for my slow preparation." Ko froze once more as _he_ entered the classroom. He was really there, right in front of her. He was still speaking, but Ko barely even registered the words. He was dressed in a traditional shrine servant's garb, not his usual kimono. Ko's breath caught in her throat. He was close enough to talk to, close enough to touch.

But he wasn't even looking at her. "Mr. Kurama." The Tengu straightened up at the sound of his name, frowning suspiciously. "The thirty thousand yen that you claimed to have lost seems to be under your chair." Ko glanced down and there indeed were three ten thousand yen bills laying on the floor by Kurama's chair. _How...?_ She reacted quickly, however, picking up the money and flashing Kurama a fake smile.

"Silly Kurama!" Ko giggled lightly, holding up the bills. "You're always losing things." Kurama gave a half smile, still disturbed by what had just happened. Once the fox familiar and his group left, things settled down a bit. Ko sat in her seat beside Kurama and looked out the window for the rest of the day, lost in thought. When it was time to go, she merely stood silently and gathered her things. Kurama stayed by her side silently until they got in there. Once they were inside, he only asked one thing.

"So that was him?" Ko looked out the window as they drove by the hill on which the old shrine sat. For a moment, she thought she could see a butterfly flitting past. The wolf yokai sighed and closed her eyes, shutting out the world.

"Yeah. That was him."

* * *

The next day, Kurama was unusually quiet on the drive to school. He seemed to be looking for something outside. Ko poked and prodded at him, but he said nothing until suddenly ordering the drive to screech to a halt. "What the hell, Shinj-" Immediately, Ko silenced herself, seeing who they had stopped next to.

"You're not wearing the hood today, Nanami," Kurama smirked and stepped out of the car, removing his sunglasses. Ko frowned and rolled her eyes. _He's so difficult sometimes._ "Get in, I'll drive you to school." Immediately, a horde of fangirls seemed to appear from nowhere, screaming Kurama's name.

However, much to Ko's surprise - and, quite honestly, amusement - Nanami was not one of them. She merely turned and crossed her arms stubbornly. "I don't need you to."

"Why?" Kurama called out teasingly. "Are you shy? Or are you nervous because of my popularity?"

It wasn't until Nanami grabbed Kurama's collar and pulled him close, quite bluntly stating, "It's because I hate you," that Ko was unable to contain her laughter. She barely registered the crowd's gasps of shock and awe as Nanami stormed off.

"I'll walk the rest of the way," she told Kurama before climbing out of the car. "Hey, Nanami! Wait up!" The female celebrity waved at the human girl, jogging after her.

Nanami turned around, smiling nervously at Ko. "Oh, hey Ko." For a moment, Nanami paused, seeming to remember something. "How are you today?"

"I'm alright. You don't have your hood today." The comment wasn't mocking like Kurama's; it was merely a statement of fact, like commenting on the weather. Even so, it carried a deeper meaning, though Ko doubted Nanami understood what she meant: without the hood, Nanami's mark of the land god was as bright as day.

Nanami nodded. "I, uh, left it at home." She smiled sheepishly, clearly still embarrassed about the previous day's events.

The wolf yokai nodded. "I'm sorry about him again. He can have a real mean streak. I promise he'll leave you alone from now on."

"Oh, don't worry about it." Nanami waved her hand dismissively. "You're a lot nicer than he is. It's kind of surprising you two are together."

"Together?" Ko raised an eyebrow and laughed. "We're not together. Just good friends. Kurama and I found each other when we were kids. We've been inseparable ever since." Nanami nodded, absorbing the information carefully. "You can call me Miko, by the way."

This caused the land god to look at her, surprised. "Miko?"

"That's my real name. Miko Tachibana." It had been so long since she'd told anyone that name, Ko had almost forgotten it. It was a name that belonged to someone else, but it seemed fitting to tell Tomoe's new master. "Ko is just my stage name."

"Miko." Nanami tested the name for a moment before smiling over at her brightly. "That's a pretty name. You should go by Miko instead. It sounds nice, like you."

Ko flushed red, looking away. "Thank you, Nanami. You're very sweet." She smiled. _I'm glad he has someone like you taking care of him..._ "Hey, Nanami? Do you mind if we have lunch together today?"

The land god smiled and nodded. "I'd like that." Ko smiled and followed her into the school building, neither girl aware that they were being watched closely by a butterfly and a fox.

* * *

Ko tapped her pen against the desk impatiently as she waited for Nanami to return from her errand. Kurama had been acting even more aloof than usual, which left the pair spending the whole school day together. Then Nanami had disappeared as well, leaving Ko with the dizzying crowd of girls asking about her interests as well as Kurama's. She sighed and rested her head on the desk, exhausted from dealing with fans. Once more, her mind drifted to a white-haired fox familiar...

The wolf yokai shook her head and sat up in her seat. _Why am I thinking about him so much? s_ he wondered to herself. _This doesn't change anything. It's obvious he still has no idea who I am._ Ko sighed and groaned burying her face in her arms. "Get over it, already."

"Get over what?" Ko looked up to see Nanami standing in front of her, a puzzled expression on her face.

"Nothing." Ko shook her head. "Just remembering some stuff. Where were you?" Nanami shook her head and scowled, signaling that she didn't want to discuss the matter further. The wolf yokai shrugged, but her expression quickly turned to a grin when she recognized the book in Nanami's hand. "Is that... the newest volume of _Beverly Hills High School Diary_?!" The two girls squealed in excitement, immediately discussing the events of the previous book. Once they had established who truly loved Mike the most, they immediately sat down to begin reading the book.

In a matter of minutes, Ko was leaning against Nanami as she read the pages aloud for them both. "When Risa asked, 'Why do you want to spend the last night with me?' Mike answered, 'Because you're my youth.'" Both girls let out an excited squeal and leaned back into their chairs contentedly. "From today on, I will live this kind of high school life!" Nanami declared firmly.

No sooner had she spoken the words, than two boys walked by, talking eagerly. "Hey, I heard that an ostrich is running astray out there."

"No way!"

"I heard that it's being chased by a fireball."

"Here it comes!"

Immediately both girls were out of their seats, rushing to the window. Ko had no doubt in her mind that somehow Kurama was involved in all of it, and the fireball already put a specific person in her mind.

And indeed, a wild ostrich came running down the hallway, squawking madly as it was chased by a blue flame. _That's Tomoe's fox fire!_ Immediately after the thought entered her mind, another detail caught her notice: The cross pendant around the ostrich's neck. Ko sighed and shook her head. _I knew that idiot was involved._

"Look out!" Nanami's voice called out to a nearby student who was unwittingly walking straight into the path of ostrich-Kurama. The land god didn't even hesitate to knock the student out of the way, getting slammed into by an ostrich herself. She stood and checked on the student before turning back to Kurama. She seemed to notice the pendant as well because her expression grew darker as she let out a yell.

"TOMOE! GET DOWN HERE!"

* * *

"Wreaking havoc at school! What nerve you have!" Nanami yelled at the fox familiar as Ko settled Kurama and the injured student into separate cots.

"I was only trying to protect you..." Tomoe argued, wiping a fake tear from his eye. Ko scoffed and leaned against the wall, crossing her arms. _Sure..._

"Then why did you turn Kurama into an ostrich?!" demanded the land god, calling her familiar on his bluff.

Tomoe's expression changed immediately, turning serious. "That guy isn't a human," he told her flatly. "He's a monster called a Crow Tengu."

Nanami turned to look at Ko and Kurama. "Then... he's not a fallen angel from hell?!" The wolf yokai smiled and shook her head. She sighed and turned back to the fox. "For now, turn him back to his normal form." Ko had to fight a laugh when Tomoe made some protest about dinner and was hushed by Nanami. She smiled when the brunette lowered herself to Kurama's level, speaking softly but firmly. "Listen, Kurama. I'll save you this time, so stop causing trouble at school and bothering me, okay?"

Kurama nodded and there was a puff of smoke before he returned to normal, his wings spread out and his expression perturbed. He muttered something to himself, but Ko was too busy studying Tomoe to notice the exchange between her two friends.

He was silent but cautious, watching over Nanami to make sure the Tengu didn't try anything sneaky while she tended to him. She couldn't help but smile, remembering the times when he would watch her that way. A wave of nostalgia hit her and she was once again lost in her memories of that time, so much so that she barely noticed when Tomoe moved directly in front of her. She squeaked and tried to move away, but her back was already against the wall. All she could do was blush and look back into his narrowed lavender eyes as he studied her features.

"And who are you?" he asked warily. A feeling of familiarity filled the fox yokai, but he couldn't quite place it. "Another Tengu?" Ko didn't know how to answer the question. She had been imagining that moment for years, but when it finally arrived, she was frozen.

Luckily, she was saved by Kurama's protectiveness. "Leave Ko alone." Suddenly, the crow Tengu was in front of her, standing between the two. "She didn't even know about my plan to eat Nanami's heart. She didn't do anything."

Ko nodded, but his words hit her with a new realization. "Wait, you were planning to do _what?_ " She frowned, the same dangerous aura from the day before surrounding her. "Kurama, you idiot!"


	10. A Familiar's Ally

It was raining heavily. Ko sat at her desk, looking out at the rain in thought. The clouds were so dark, it looked like night had fallen. _I hope Tomoe is able to get his work done today._ She sat up a little, surprised at her own thoughts. It had been years since she'd had thoughts like that. She suspected that her wandering mind was due to last week's events. The black-haired girl rested her head on the table as she recalled Tomoe's face that day. He was so cold towards her, so suspicious, like he was looking at a complete stranger. Ko sighed and shook her head. In fairness, she _was_ a complete stranger to him. Still, that thought gave her little comfort when she considered how he looked at her.

A sympathetic sigh broke Ko out of her thoughts and she looked over to see Nanami staring out the window in a similarly pensive manner. The wolf yokai walked over, waving slightly. "Hey, Nanami," she greeted cheerfully. "Everything okay?"

The land god blinked, still in a daze, then smiled brightly. "Oh, hey Miko. Yeah, every thing's great, I guess I just kind of got lost in thought for a second." Nanami rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "Anyway, where's Kurama?"

"Working." Ko shrugged, though she knew it was a lie. Truthfully, Kurama just hated going out in the rain. He often complained that the water would make his feathers soggy and it put him in a bad mood. Ko would often reply that he was always in a bad mood anyway, to which the crow tengu would retort with a different kind of bird. But that wasn't really something Nanami needed to know, so work was the easier answer. "Where's Tomoe?" _Too excited,_ Ko scolded herself as she cleared her throat and added, "That's your familiar's name, right?"

"Working." Nanami replied in the same tone, though she was slightly more puzzled at the change in Ko's attitude. The two girls nodded in mutual understanding before bursting into a fit of giggles. "I guess our boys are pretty complicated, huh?" Ko giggled and nodded again, though she was surprised to find herself slightly peeved at Nanami calling Tomoe 'theirs'. It wasn't like Ko owned him; in fact, the truth was that he belonged to Nanami. And yet, she still felt a strange possessiveness about him, like a child who is forced to share her toys. However, Nanami changed the subject before Ko could think on the feeling too deeply. "Speaking of, how long have you and Kurama known each other?"

Ko blinked, surprised at the question. She shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant. "Since we were kids. My parents died, and I ran away and bumped into Shinj- I mean, Kurama. We've been together ever since." The land god's eyes widened at her story.

"Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't know." Nanami looked away and Ko had to force a smile to keep from screaming. She hated the looks people gave her when she told them that she was a runaway. She wasn't broken or a delinquent; she just had nothing left in her old life.

As the thought passed through her mind, an image of a young girl and a white fox playing together in the autumn leaves popped into her head. Almost nothing.

Ko shook her head and bumped Nanami's shoulder. "It's alright. You couldn't have known. I don't tell anyone about my past." The wolf yokai looked out at the dark sky and sighed. "Not exactly your ideal back story for a pop star." She shook her head and forced another smile. "What about you and Tomoe? You two seem close, how long have you known each other?"

"Oh, not very long," Nanami smiled and shook her head sheepishly. "I only recently became a land god. I was homeless, and the god of the shrine let me stay there." Ko nodded, trying not to let her emotions show. _The land god... Could she mean Mikage?_ The situation had only become more confusing, but Nanami's next question distracted her. "So you're a yokai as well? Are you a crow Tengu like Kurama?"

Ko shook her head. "No, I'm actually a wolf yokai. I look very different without my glamour." Nanami's eyes widened and the older girl grinned, feeling the urge to brag. "I can also turn into various animals at will. Maybe I'll show you sometime."

"That sounds like a lot of fun." Nanami giggled, but was unable to continue due to the commotion outside the room.

"Hey, look! There's a snake!" The two girls turned around to get a better look. Two boys were using their brooms to push at a small white snake, clamoring about catching the poor thing. Ko immediately opened her mouth to scold the boys, but Nanami was already up and moving.

"Hey." She told the boys calmly but firmly. "It's said that white snakes are familiars of the gods. You guys are going to be punished if you keep it up." With that, she picked up the snake and placed it outside, smiling softly. "Here you go." Nanami smiled as she watched the snake slither away, thinking to herself that he was white just like Tomoe.

Ko watched the exchange, smirking as the boys of the class exclaimed about Nanami touching the snake with her bare hands. She rolled her eyes and walked over, but her mood quickly dropped when she neared the brunette. "Nanami..." she started, taking Nanami's right hand and inspecting it further. A red line was forming around her wrist, coiling around her hand the same way the snake had been. "You should show this to Tomoe when you get home. He seems like the kind of guy who would know about all kinds of stuff." Nanami nodded and the two girls continued about their day, discussing the boys and classes as if nothing had happened. Still, the thought continued to loom in the back of Ko's mind every time she glanced down at Nanami's hand. She couldn't be entirely sure, but she was almost positive. Tomoe would know for certain, that much she knew. _That mark... is almost certainly a mark of engagement..._

* * *

"Wait, he's doing _what_?!" Ko stared between Nanami and Tomoe, who was dressed in their school uniform.

Nanami gestured to the fox yokai and shrugged. "He insisted on coming to school with me today."

"Don't act like I wanted to do this," he snapped at her, flipping through the pages of a book. "You said you want to keep your attendance record, so I have no choice but to go here myself." He grabbed Nanami's hand roughly and held it up. "Anyway, don't leave my side when we're at school."

Ko shook her head, forcing herself not to laugh at the fox. A sharp, bitter feeling coursed through her, but she shrugged it off. "Yeah, but... can you really act like a high school student, Tomoe?"

Almost immediately, Tomoe's eyes narrowed at Ko. "Of course I can," he practically growled. "And don't be so casual with me, Tengu. I still don't trust you after that last encounter with Kurama."

Before Ko could respond, Nanami was scolding her familiar. "Don't be so mean to her, Tomoe. And she's not a Tengu, she's a-"

"It's fine, Nanami," Ko cut her off quickly, keeping her eyes on Tomoe. "Tomoe is just doing his duty as your familiar. I can't really blame him." His words hurt, a lot if she was being honest, but Ko wasn't quite ready to reveal herself to the fox. Firstly, she had no idea what she'd even say to him, and even if she did, there was no way of knowing how he'd react. Her pride wasn't quite ready for the potential hit just yet. "Anyway, why is Tomoe following you around in the first place? Shouldn't he be back at the shrine with Oni-" The wolf yokai paused, catching herself. "I mean, with your shrine spirits?"

"It's because of my mark." Nanami held up the hand, still bright red from where the snake had touched her. "Apparently it's a mark of engagement."

"I had feared as much." Ko nodded, frowning at the thought. Forcing marriage was a sensitive subject for her already. Her memories had not faded so much that she had forgotten her childhood playmate. "That conniving little..." she trailed off and growled, shaking her head. Her books were clenched so tightly that her knuckles were turning white. When she looked up, both Nanami and Tomoe were staring at her, puzzled. "Sorry, I just... got a little excited. Anyway, now that Tomoe's here, I'm sure you'll be fine Nanami. That snake will realize what a dummyhead he was when he tries to claim a fox's master." She rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly, moving away from the pair. "We should go before we're late, yeah?"

Without waiting for another response, the wolf dashed off, too absorbed in her own thoughts to notice the fox staring after her pensively. "What a strange Tengu," he commented, stroking his chin. "I'll have to keep an eye on her."

Nanami frowned up at Tomoe. "Stop that, Tomoe. She's my friend. And I already told you, she's not a Tengu!"

The fox scowled down at her. "You seem to think I care what she is. All that matters is protecting you, Nanami." He sighed. "And friend or not, you should be more wary. She's still a yokai and you are still a land god. Don't think she won't rip out your heart with her own hands if it means getting more power." Even as he said the words, his mind drifted back to the dark-haired woman. He felt strange around her, and not in any way glamour would account for. It wasn't a malicious feeling, quite the opposite actually; he felt as if he'd known Ko her whole life, as impossible as it seemed. The feeling had spiked when she called the snake a 'dummyhead' as well. Memories floated back to him of a young girl with black markings and a sharp tongue. He rubbed the top of his head as if nursing a bruise. _How strange... Why am I thinking of her now of all times?_

"...Tomoe? Tomoe!" Nanami shaking the fox's arm brought him back to his senses and he looked down at her in annoyance. "Were you even listening to me?"

"I try to avoid it when possible."

"Ugh!" Nanami rolled her eyes and tugged at his arm. "Let's go, we're gonna be late for class."

* * *

The day passed by relatively peacefully for Ko. Most of the class was preoccupied with Tomoe. At some point, she thought Nanami had mentioned that they were calling him the son of a rich family that had taken her in. For the most part, the cover went smoothly, with the exception of a few times when Tomoe accidentally called Nanami his master.

Still, it was nice to get a little peace and quiet. Nanami seemed annoyed, but she wasn't used to the constant attention that came from Kurama's suitors as well as her own. Ko took the opportunity to study Tomoe further.

Despite the fact that more than a decade had passed, the fox looked and sounded exactly the same as he had when she was a child. Ko wasn't sure if that made the whole situation better or worse. At the same time, his personality was rougher than she remembered, at least to Nanami. Tomoe was perfectly polite and pleasant to the rest of the classmates - yokai excluded - but Ko could see through that easily. When there were no unsuspecting humans, his temper seemed shorter and his mood generally gruff. Ko couldn't tell if that was his typical demeanor or if it was just due to her own presence.

Regardless, the day passed rather uneventfully. When Ko wasn't watching Tomoe, she was staring out at the dark, rainy sky, lost in thought. These moments provided the perfect opportunity for the fox to watch her in turn.

At first, it was completely unintentional. He found himself staring at her in moments of boredom or distraction, only to shake himself out of it when she caught him looking. As the day went on, however, Tomoe's thoughts also began turning to the yokai. That feeling of familiarity still nagged at him. He knew her from somewhere, but... where?

In addition to thoughts of the female yokai, flashes of memories from over ten years ago seemed to slip into his mind at the strangest times. As the day went on, he began to associate them with different expressions and actions from Ko herself. When she laughed, images of playing in the leaves with a little wolf girl filled his mind; when she scrunched up her nose he recalled being scolded by a seven year old. _'You big dummyhead!'_ He smiled at the thought, then frowned.

 _Dummyhead..._ Tomoe had only ever heard such a childish, ridiculous from one little girl. In honesty, he could see her saying it even as an adult, just to be contrary. _Could it be?_ He studied the yokai carefully, searching for any similarity. The markings, ears, and tail could be hidden easily enough with glamour, especially given her ability to transform. He considered Ko as the day passed. If she were to have grown up, he supposed the young wolf would look something like that. _Is it she?_ Tomoe shook his head. _No. It's impossible._ His mind was simply playing tricks on him, giving him false hope.

Or so he thought.

It wasn't until nearly the end of the day when his suspicions reared up again. A group of girls were gushing over a magazine featuring Kurama and his favorite things. It was one of those "Are You His Perfect Match?" questionnaires and the girls were bickering over who knew him best. Once again, Tomoe found himself staring at the male Tengu's companion as she stood and walked behind the girls to inspect the magazine. "You know, all those answers are fake." The girls turned in shock as she smiled at them. "Kurama's favorite color is green, not blue. He hates the rain, his favorite season is winter, and his favorite food is chocolate." She shrugged before the other girls could respond, turning and walking out of the classroom as the bell rang, signaling the end of class.

Nanami chuckled, watching the gaggle of jealous human girls file out of the class, gossiping about the exchange. "Miko is funny. She knows just how people work."

Tomoe perked up at the name, turning to look at his master. "Miko? Is that the Tengu's name?" He frowned. "I thought it was Ki or something like that."

"She goes by _Ko,_ " Nanami replied, looking annoyed. "But her real name is Miko. And I already told you, Tomoe. She's not a crow, she's a wolf yokai."

 _A wolf?_ His eyes narrowed. "She was lying. There are no more wolf yokai. They all died ten years ago."

"She was not!" the land god retorted indignantly. "Miko told me herself that she ran away from home a long time ago. Maybe she managed to escape." So it was true. It was her. After all those years, Tomoe hadn't even recognized her. He wasn't sure what to feel at that point. _You came back... Miko..._

As if summoned by his thoughts alone, the wolf yokai appeared in the doorway, looking at the two. "Ah, sorry if I'm interrupting." Ko smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. She pointed at her desk, her items still scattered about. "I really had to pee and I forgot my bag. I didn't realize anyone was still in here." She walked to her desk and began packing up. "Oh, but you have daily duty today, right Nanami?"

The land god nodded and picked up the notebook. "Right! I'll go take this to the staff room."

Tomoe nodded, his eyes still on Ko. She was still packing her bag, her back to him. He stood and walked to the windowsill, leaning against it as he studied her further. "So, Nanami tells me you two have become quite close."

She nodded, not meeting his eyes. "Look," Ko sighed. "If you're worried about me hurting her-"

"I'm not." The wolf yokai raised an eyebrow at him quizzically, prompting him to continue. "I saw how upset you were this morning when we were discussing her mark of engagement. You seem very protective of Nanami. I'm... glad she has a friend like you."

"You are?"

He nodded. "Indeed. It spares me some worry while she is here at school without me. So, thank you for that."

Ko blushed lightly and closed her bag, shaking her head. "You don't need to thank me. Nanami's a really nice girl."

"Indeed." Tomoe looked out the window. "She reminds me of someone I used to care for. A little girl." Ko froze, but didn't respond. Her eyes stayed on the desk, unable to move. "She was like family to me. But she ran away a long time ago. I never saw her again. I felt like I had lost my best friend all over again. Nanami tells me you ran away from home as a child as well." Ko slowly looked up to meet Tomoe's eyes, her whole body shaking beneath his heavy gaze. "Tell me, what was going through your mind that day?"

Ko was paralyzed. It took several moments for her to move her mouth, and several more for words to come out. "Tomoe, I-" Before she could continue further, a sense of danger ran through them both, sending chills down their spines. Suddenly, Ko remembered the whole reason for Tomoe being at school in the first place. She looked at Tomoe wildly. "Nanami's in trouble!"

* * *

Being back at the shrine was a rather bittersweet experience. It still looked the same, but the shrine had always seemed to be missing something. Ko knew it had been due to Lord Mikage's absence so it was only natural that this feeling would dissipate with Nanami becoming the land god. Ko smiled, grateful that her childhood home was now at peace once again. She walked through the halls of the shrine, reminiscing to herself. The feeling was akin to coming home after a long journey. Nothing would have made her happier at that moment.

But Nanami was still missing.

"Lady Nanami has been kidnapped!" Ko could hear Kotetsu crying in the yard. She sighed, knowing that Onikiri was probably out there as well.

Like clockwork, Onikiri's voice echoed through the halls. "Lady Nanami was made to marry a snake!" Ko walked outside, forcing herself not to smile at the fuss they were making. "It's over for our shrine!"

"Don't cry, Onikiri." She bent down to pat the shrine spirits on their heads. "We still have hope. Look," she gestured to Tomoe, who was sitting on the porch quietly. "Tomoe has been very calm this whole time. I'm sure he's thinking of a way to save Nanami as we speak." She smiled reassuringly at the pair.

Kotetsu nodded eagerly. "It's as Lady Miko says! Ever since he came back, he's been polishing the bottles on the porch. He doesn't appear to be perturbed at all."

Ko wasn't so sure this was the case, but she didn't want to upset the spirits further. The fox familiar hadn't said more than two words to Ko since they'd found out Nanami had been taken. Almost immediately, Tomoe had sent his fox fire out to search for her. After that, he'd merely ordered her to follow as he returned to the shrine.

"As expected from the number one familiar in Japan!" Onikiri nodded in agreement. The shrine spirits looked up at Ko. "And now that Lady Miko has returned to us, there's no way our luck can break!"

"He must have some plan." Kotetsu declared confidently and Onikiri muttered her agreement. Ko smiled, happy to have pacified the spirits.

The peace didn't last long though. Within moments of Kotetsu's own reassurance, a bottle slipped from Tomoe's grasp, shattering as it hit the ground. Immediately, the shrine spirits started crying hysterically. "It's no use! It's over for our shrine!"

"Shut up!" Tomoe snapped at the pair, causing them to immediately cry even more. Tomoe cursed under his breath, looking down at his hands. _I didn't think I'd be this worked up._ "Tch." He curled his hand into a fist. _With her power and brains, she can't even protect herself. She's probably crying right now..._ Tomoe glanced down at the pot, knowing full well that Ko was watching behind him. _Things that have fallen away from my hands... It's just like back then... Am I really so useless as to let this happen again?_

"Tomoe." Ko placed a hand on his shoulder, her voice firm. He looked up at the wolf. Her eyes, still hazel, were boring into his lavender ones with steely conviction. "We're going to get her back."

The fox closed his eyes and sighed, nodding. "You're right. We will get her back, at all costs." He glanced back at the bottle. _While she's still within my reach..._

Ko sighed and sat down on the porch, looking out at the yard. She remembered playing with Tomoe, running through the leaves in the fall. She'd never seen the shrine in the spring. It was brighter and - given better circumstances, Ko assumed - more cheerful. She smiled, kicking her legs gently.

"Thinking of a simpler time?" Tomoe's voice broke her out of her reverie.

The wolf didn't meet his eyes, still gazing out at the yard. "How long have you known?"

Tomoe sighed and leaned back on his hands. "I suppose I should have figured it out sooner. As soon as I met you, I felt... connected to you. But it wasn't until Nanami told me that I was able to put all the pieces together." He shook his head. "I'm ashamed to say it took me that long. But... why didn't you tell me? Why not come to the shrine?"

"I..." Ko paused, drawing her knees to her chest. "I was afraid." Tomoe turned to look at her, but she continued before he could protest. "I wasn't afraid of you. I thought that if I came back to the shrine and word got out..." She shook her head. "I didn't want to go back to Izumo. And I didn't want to put you in danger. And also... I didn't know how you'd react. I didn't exactly leave things on a positive note."

"This is your home, Miko." Her head snapped up. It was the first time he had called her that. When she looked at Tomoe, the fox familiar was staring at her intently, his expression firm. "No matter what happens, no matter where you go, this is your home." Before he could say anything else, Miko jerked forward, wrapping her arms around him tightly. Tomoe held her gently, whispering reassurances as he stroked her hair. Memories of this same scene from over 10 years ago slipped through his mind. She was much smaller then, but she still held on to him just as tightly as she sobbed into his chest.

The pair stayed like that for a while before they were interrupted. "Master Tomoe..." He looked up to see one of his flames waiting patiently by his head. "We've found her."

"Let's go then." Tomoe glanced down as Miko pulled away from him and wiped her eyes. Her glamour had fallen away. Black filigree ran down her arms and legs and across her face. Her ears and tail, now streaked with white, were twitching impatiently as her eyes, molten gold once more, lit up with excitement. "We're going to kick that snake's ass and save Nanami."

* * *

"Well, that was anti-climactic," Miko complained as the group left the dam. In the end, Nanami befriended her captor and promised to meet with him again if he got lonely. _Sounds like a case of Stockholm Syndrome to me..._ "Anyway, what's wrong, Tomoe? You've been in a bad mood since we left."

The fox familiar shrugged. "Not really." He kept his gaze forward, but Miko could have sworn she saw his eye twitch a few times. "You've gotten pretty close to that snake," he told Nanami. "You even promised to meet with him again right in front of my eyes. Was I just a clown or something?"

 _So he is angry..._ Miko chuckled. _Dummyhead._

"But I couldn't just leave him alone." Nanami's sheepish reply drew Miko's attention. The land god was staring off into space, her expression thoughtful. "If I was to die and you were left all alone... When I think about how you might become like him, I couldn't leave him alone."

Miko frowned, looking away. _Tomoe was left all alone, twice. Once by Mikage, and once by me..._ She thought back to Mizuki's words from earlier when Tomoe threatened to burn down his tree.

 _'Lady Yonomori's tree is my precious treasure,'_ the snake had said. _'You understand it, right? Since you're also a familiar like me, Tomoe.'_

Despite trying to act cold, Miko could tell that Mizuki's words had gotten under Tomoe's skin. ' _Yeah. I understand it. So well that it hurts.'_

 _Tomoe..._ Miko looked over at him. _You must have been so lonely... All this time..._

"That's an absurd fear." Tomoe's blunt tone immediately crashed through the atmosphere like a burning plane. Miko put her hand on her head and sighed. _You big dummy... Learn some tact._ Almost immediately, however, Tomoe's attention was drawn to the scrape on Nanami's knee. He knelt down to inspect the wound. "Were you hurt?"

"I only fell down a little," Nanami reassured him. "I'm fine."

The fox familiar ignored her words, sighing. "I'm sorry. Just as I wasn't looking, you got taken away." He bit his lip, considering the day's events. _She bleeds just by falling down._ Tomoe sighed. _She gets into danger so easily... I've got to be careful not to break her._

Nanami laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. "Jeez, Tomoe. Don't say something so out of character all of a sudden like that. If you say something like that, I'll get carried away and act spoiled." The fox nodded but didn't respond, still lost in thought.

"Hey." Miko placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled softly as he turned to look at her. "Let's go home, Tomoe."


	11. A Familiar's Helplessness

_Rolled out of bed today_

 _And I feel brand new_

 _And I cannot explain_

 _So let me show you_

 _I feel alive_

 _And I'm gonna let me let it show_

 _Try to kick me down_

 _I'm a full hot air balloon_

 _I'm gonna take this in my stride_

Miko smiled at Kurama as he sang the lyrics into his microphone on the other side of the studio. His red hair was mussed slightly from moving around as they rehearsed for their upcoming performance. He winked when she joined in on the chorus and stepped closer to her. Miko slid to the left and stepped forward then back, letting herself get into the music.

 _I'm feeling tip-top, I'm not gonna stop_

 _Tapping my shoes_

 _I ain't got a clue, got nothin' to lose_

 _Watch me move_

 _It's a brand new day_

 _I'mma hit you like a hurricane_

For a moment, Miko was back in the recording booth for the first time with Kurama, laughing and joking. She recalled the days when it was just the two of them against the world, before the rabid fans and paparazzi. After running away, music had been one of the few comforts Miko could enjoy. She often found herself lost in the sound, the melody allowing her to find the words she couldn't have before. That was before their world was defined by charts and sales, before the music had to be designed and perfected.

Kurama grabbed her hand just as the chorus started up a second time, pulling her across to the other side of the studio while he took her place. Tomoe's face flitted through her mind as Miko sang, lifting her spirits once more. By the time they got to the bridge, she was back in full swing, her movements less restrained and stiff.

 _And so, I heard the grass gets greener_

 _I'm sure it's gonna all get clearer_

 _I know I'm gonna turn this around_

' _Cause I'm not gonna let you try to keep me down_

Kurama smiled as Miko belted out the lyrics. He had forgotten how lost in the music she could get, and it was refreshing to see her so carefree and happy. When they jumped back into the chorus, he grinned mischievously and began moving closer to the oblivious girl.

 _I'm feeling tip-top, I'm not gonna stop_

 _Tapping my shoes_

 _I ain't got a clue, got nothin' to lose_

Just as the next line hit, Kurama grabbed Miko's hand and pulled, causing her to spin into him. They landed as perfectly as always, her free hand on his chest and his around her waist, still holding her other hand. He leaned down, still grinning as he sang his line to her.

 _With you_

Miko rolled her eyes and pushed away from him as the chorus started up again without missing a beat. They finished the song and high-fived the other cast members as they packed their things and headed to their dressing rooms. Once they had changed and were ready to go, Miko grinned at Kurama. "You surprised me back there. I almost lost character."

"You seemed pretty into it on your own," he replied with a grin. "What's got you in such a good mood?" Miko shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant. "It wouldn't have anything to do with seeing that fox again, would it? You've been spending a lot of time with him lately."

Miko's eyes widened and she blushed heavily. "I have not! We just hang out after school, that's all."

Kurama rolled his eyes. "Sure, sure. You just hang out after school. And walk to school together. And eat lunch together. And-" He grinned when Miko covered his mouth, glaring at him. "Alright, alright, I'm sorry," the Tengu apologized halfheartedly as they walked out of the building. "I'm actually glad you two are getting along now. I may hate his guts, but I know you consider him family so I'm glad you're happy." He smiled down at the wolf yokai and opened his umbrella as they stepped outside.

Before she could respond, a familiar voice called out behind them. "Hey!" Miko turned to see their manager, Tazaki, walking behind them with a big grin. He was probably the president of several fan clubs, and he was always looking for a way to find out more about Kurama and Miko's lives. He wasn't really a bad guy, but he struggled with boundaries sometimes. "Great job today, Ko-Rama!" He grinned, obviously pleased with himself as the two celebrities looked back at him in confusion. "Get it? I put Ko and Kurama together to make Ko-Rama!"

Miko giggled and shook her head as Kurama rolled his eyes. "Yeah, we got it." He groaned. "Just don't do that in public."

"R-Right!" Tazaki nodded. "Anyway since it's raining, I'll drive you home!"

He held up the keys, but the pair was already walking away, huddled under the umbrella. "It's alright," Miko called back to him with a smile. "We live nearby." Tazaki spluttered and immediately began ranting about how it was a manager's job to drive his stars home and something or other, but Kurama had already lost interest and was hailing a cab. Miko was looking around when she noticed a familiar face on the street corner. "Nanami?"

She was sitting at the entrance to what seemed to be a clinic and she was cradling a small bundle. Something was different about her though. Kurama seemed to realize the same thing because he walked over, smiling at Nanami. "What are you doing here?" Nanami looked up at the sound of his voice, seeming startled by his sudden appearance. "Oh." He frowned and bent down to get a better look at Nanami's forehead. "You've lost the mark."

Miko's eyes widened. There was no way Nanami could have lost the mark of the land god. It was impossible. If Nanami had lost her mark, then that could only mean one of two things: Mikage had returned to the shrine, or… Miko shook her head, unwilling to consider an alternative. Just as the thought crossed her mind, however, Nanami leaped into Kurama's arms, sobbing. As she did so, the bundle shifted to her arm and Miko immediately recognized the little boy in her arms.

"Tomoe?"

* * *

"He's gotten pretty cute, huh?" Miko and Nanami looked up at Kurama from their places on either side of Tomoe, who was lying in Miko's bed. Nanami was kneeling on the floor beside him drying her hair while Miko sat on the bed. Kurama stood in the doorway, holding a mug of tea.

Nanami stood and nodded to both of them, bowing her head apologetically. "I'm sorry for suddenly imposing on the two of you like this while you're not feeling very well yourselves."

Miko raised an eyebrow at Kurama. "Not feeling well?" Nanami looked between the two in confusion.

"Oh, that's just an excuse for us to take days off from school for work," Kurama responded with a shrug. He put his hand on his head dramatically and the wolf yokai rolled her eyes. "That school doesn't cut corners for _popular_ idols, so it's a pain to take care of all the formalities. After all, this is the first time there has been a super popular star enrolling in that school. It's troublesome for me that they're not very flexible." He smiled and posed dramatically.

"Poor thing," Miko scoffed. "You have to actually go to school. Whatever will you do?"

Nanami ignored him, clearly more concerned with the matter at hand. "Miko, since you and Kurama are yokai, I have a favor to ask." The older girl looked at Nanami, prompting her to continue while Kurama mumbled something about being advertised as a fallen angel. "Do either of you know a doctor who will cure yokai? I want to ask a doctor to have a look at Tomoe. He seems to be in a lot of pain…"

The yokai shared a look before Kurama sat on the bed to get a closer look at the sleeping fox. "Looks like he didn't turn into a kid," the Tengu commented. "Only his body has completely regressed."

"What does that mean?" Nanami questioned, her concern obviously growing.

Miko frowned, placing her hand on Tomoe's forehead. It was practically hot enough to burn her. "It means that the power he originally had can't settle down in this body and is going crazy. That's why he's running a fever." Nanami moved closer as well and Miko looked at her grimly. "Even with a doctor, there's nothing we can do if he doesn't return to his original body." The wolf yokai glanced back down at Tomoe, gently brushing some hair out of his face. _Tomoe… We'll get you back to normal, I promise…_

After a few moments of watching the two girls, Kurama sighed and walked out. He returned a little later holding a small pill. Miko immediately recognized it and frowned, remembering all the times she'd been sick and Kurama had forced her to take it. "This is a very good medicine that has been passed down through generations in my family. It's just a temporary remedy, but it'll at least bring his fever down. It's _really_ bitter though." The Tengu smiled as if he wasn't sorry at all. Miko imagined it had something to do with the ostrich incident a few weeks ago.

Just as Kurama opened Tomoe's mouth and slipped the pill in, however, Tomoe clamped down in his sleep, biting on the Tengu's finger. Kurama yelped and began groaning about an ungrateful fox, but both women ignored him. Almost immediately, Tomoe's fever seemed to go down and his breathing relaxed. Miko smiled and shifted into a chinchilla, curling up beside Tomoe. _Please wake up soon, Tomoe… Please be okay…_ Miko's eyes drifted shut as she fell asleep, dreaming of white foxes and autumn.

* * *

The next morning, Miko woke to warmth on her back. She sat up, still in her animal form, and turned to see sunlight filtering through Kurama's window. When the yokai looked over, Tomoe and Nanami were still asleep but Nanami now had a blanket draped over her shoulders. Miko suspected that had something to do with a certain crow Tengu. She slipped off the bed and out of the room, only changing back once she was sure the others wouldn't wake up.

Reaching up her arms in a stretching motion, Miko made her way to the music room and picked up her guitar. She'd had the beginnings of a song stuck in her head for the past few days, but she'd had very little time to work on it. Now that everyone was asleep, however, she suspected she could at least finish the melody in peace. _And it might help me clear my head so I can consider what to do about Tomoe._ Miko sighed and pulled her long black hair into a loose ponytail. Reaching down to grab her guitar, she sat on one of the stools and began humming softly, strumming the guitar.

 _The rain is fallin' on my window pane_

 _But we are hidin' in a safer place_

 _Under cover stayin' dry and warm_

 _You give me feelings that I adore_

She frowned softly as she sang, writing down the lyrics. The music was complete, but the words still eluded her. Every time she started writing, she would get little spurts of inspiration, but they would disappear. It was like the words were just out of reach. Miko sighed and ran a hand through her hair, releasing the ponytail as she did so. She rubbed the sleep out of her golden eyes and set the guitar down. _What am I missing?_ The thought continued repeating itself in her mind as she put her hair into a tighter ponytail, but the answer eluded her.

"A muse." Miko nearly dropped the guitar as she turned to look at the familiar man behind her. "You're trying to finish that song, right? It sounds good, but you don't seem to know who you're singing to or about." He sat on one of the stools, looking over at her. "In my experience, that's kind of necessary when you're writing a song."

Miko out a hand over her heart and glared at him. "Jeez, Shinjiro, you scared the living crap out of me." She sighed and sat down on one of the other stools to face him. "That's the thing. I'm not writing this for anyone in particular. It just… came to me."

The crow Tengu smirked and waved his hand dismissively. "Nonsense," he said. "I heard you singing. Music like that doesn't just happen. It _means_ something. In all the time I've known you, your music has always had a muse. Even if it's not a person, it's something that makes you feel. Just think about what makes you feel the way you do when you play this song." He stood and hugged her, placing his chin on the top of her head.

"When did you get so wise?" She looked up at him, her hands reaching up to grab his.

Kurama shrugged, grinning down at his partner. "Just speaking from experience. After all, you're the muse for all of my love songs." Miko groaned and rolled her eyes at his teasing tone. She pulled away from him as he pretended to pout. "Aw, don't be like that, Miko," he teased. "Don't you know I'm in love with you?"

Miko rolled her eyes again and shook her head. "The only person you're in love with is yourself, Shinjiro."

Before he could retort, a loud yell came from the living room. The idols ran out of the music room to see Nanami standing just outside of Miko's room, looking panicked. _Where's Tomoe?_ Miko's mind immediately turned to the white-haired fox. _Did something happen?_ "What is it?"

"Let me borrow your kitchen and some money!"

* * *

Miko sat in the kitchen, watching Nanami work quietly. "Tomoe woke up," the former land god explained as she prepared the food. "When I asked him if he wanted anything, he said he wanted to eat rice balls."

 _Rice balls?_ Miko raised an eyebrow. Suddenly, a memory sprang into Miko's mind, familiar voices echoing softly.

' _I want rice balls!' A young wolf girl demanded, her long black hair reaching down to her waist. Her tail flicked impatiently as she looked up at the white-haired fox._

' _I see you're still bossy as ever,' he replied as he made his way to the kitchen._

' _And you're still a dummyhead.'_

"Heh, I want some bacon and scrambled eggs as a too early breakfast." Kurama's sarcastic tone snapped Miko out of her flashback. She turned to look at the Tengu, who was leaning on the counter watching Nanami. The former land god rolled her eyes but continued working. "Do you even know how to make rice balls? You could have just bought some pre-made rice cakes."

Nanami scrunched up her nose at the suggestion and shook her head. "Preserved food is a poor person's friend," she responded. The young girl never looked up from her work as she spoke, her expression gentle. "My mom often made me rice balls when I was little." Her eyes darkened a little when she said that, and Miko immediately knew why. She had heard that tone in her own voice many times: the tone of someone who had lost a parent. Kurama had never really understood that feeling; he had explained to Miko that women were not allowed on the mountain, so he hadn't had a mother to miss, and Miko sensed only bitterness when he mentioned his father. Still, she could tell he missed his family.

"Hey, Nanami," Miko piped up, drawing the attention of the other two. "Can I help?" She smiled sheepishly, ignoring the light warmth in her cheeks. "Tomoe used to make rice balls for me when I was little. I'd like to return the favor." The brown-haired girl smiled and gestured with her head for Miko to come over. Nanami explained how to shape and roll the rice as she worked. Miko felt herself relax as she settled into a steady rhythm and soon the two girls were hard at work, talking and giggling. Neither one noticed the crow Tengu watching them, his dark eyes resting on Miko before glancing at Nanami. Neither one noticed when he sighed, got up, and left either.

"Done!" Nanami proclaimed, throwing up her hands. She smiled at the taller woman. "Thank you for your help, Miko." She lifted the tray and walked towards Miko's room. "Tomoe! Sorry for the wait. Here are my special rice balls!" Miko turned to follow her but paused hesitantly. She hadn't left Tomoe's side since he had arrived, and even before that, they had been spending so much time together over the last few weeks. She was sure Nanami didn't mind, but still. Miko didn't want to seem like she was stealing him away. Nanami was his master and they deserved their time together. Nanami's laugh echoed from the room and Miko shook her head, moving to the music room.

Picking up her guitar, Miko sat on the stool and strummed mindlessly. Before she knew it, she was humming the melody from her elusive song. Miko sighed and sang softly, letting her feelings flow into the song.

 _But what am I gonna say?_

 _When you make me feel this way_

 _I just… Mmm_

She closed her eyes and leaned back slightly, racking her brain for the rest of the lyrics. She was so lost in thought that she didn't even notice the small white fox yokai come in. Tomoe smiled and took the opportunity to study the Miko for a moment, something he'd been doing a lot over the past few days. He was still a little shocked to see the girl he'd once had to carry home fully grown. Until recently, Tomoe had still thought of Miko as the same little girl he'd cared for almost a decade ago. Naturally, he knew she had already grown up, but he could never quite picture it properly. Seeing her then, Tomoe could barely reconcile the two images.

But it was Miko. She had the same determination, the same stubbornness, the same passion and will she had demonstrated to him over and over again. Time and age had made her more compassionate, more considerate of others. This was expected of her, of course, as all children are expected to move past their childish nature at some point, but Tomoe could see that it was more than that. Whatever had happened to Miko in those twelve years, it had matured her beyond her years, and yet she remained kind. This realization stirred a feeling in Tomoe, but he couldn't quite recognize it himself. It bothered him a little, but he pushed it away, attributing it to his new size and weakness.

"Tomoe?" Miko spoke softly, but it was enough to break the white fox out of his daydream. "What are you doing up? You should be resting." She stood to help him, but he raised a hand, looking annoyed.

"I'm fine," he snapped, then cleared his throat with a sigh. "I'm sorry. I'm just not used to having to be watched like a child. Anyway," he added, noting Miko's surprised expression. "Nanami told me you helped make the rice balls, so I wanted to thank you." Miko smiled and nodded, commenting that it was no trouble. She shifted slightly and set down the guitar. Tomoe was surprised that he hadn't noticed her holding it earlier. "Were you playing?"

Miko nodded. "Yeah, but it's not ready yet. I'm still missing a lot of the lyrics."

"Well, would it be alright if I heard what you have so far?"

Miko blinked, unsure how to respond. Tomoe had never shown any interest in her music before, so it was an odd request coming from him. Still, it made happy that he wanted to know more about her and the world she was living in now. Miko nodded hesitantly and helped him sit on the stool across from her before picking up her guitar. Smiling at Tomoe as she started strumming the chords, Miko started into the first words, letting the words flow naturally.

 _Will you count me in?_

 _I've been awake for a while now_

 _You've got me feelin' like a child now_

 _'Cause every time I see your bubbly face_

 _I get the tingles in a silly place_

Moving into the chorus, Miko smiled at Tomoe, barely noticing the Tengu and human girl standing in the doorway behind him. Tomoe listened intently as Miko kept singing, the lyrics falling into place as if she'd known the song the entire time. Miko moved through the chorus and the bridge easily, finishing off the song with the final verse.

 _I've been asleep for a while now_

 _You tuck me in just like a child now_

 _'Cause every time you hold me in your arms_

 _I'm comfortable enough to feel your warmth_

 _It starts in my soul, and I lose all control_

 _When you kiss my nose, the feelin' shows_

 _'Cause you make me smile, baby,_

 _Just take your time now_

 _Holdin' me tight_

She strummed the last few notes, blushing when Nanami and Kurama clapped appreciatively. Tomoe nodded, smiling softly. "That sounded pretty complete to me," he told her.

Miko's eyes widened. "Oh, crap, you're right! I need to record this before I forget it!" She shooed the other three out of the room. "Everybody out, I need to get this recorded and sent over to Tazaki so he can get to work on it right away." Kurama groaned about being unappreciated, but his huge grin gave him away as Miko pushed him out. "Oh, and Tomoe," Miko added as she was about to close the door. "Thank you. I guess all I needed was the right audience." _Or the right muse,_ she thought to herself as she closed the door with a giggle.

* * *

"Kurama! Why am I in the same bed as you?!" Nanami's shrieking jolted the three yokai awake. Miko immediately sat up, looking around for the danger. She sighed and relaxed when she registered Nanami's words. Kurama rolled his eyes and reminded her that they had all fallen asleep the night before. Nanami nodded, seeming somewhat pacified, before turning to Tomoe. "Tomoe, how are you feeling?"

Tomoe frowned, ignoring the question. "That man is a yokai." He told Nanami firmly. "You need to be more cautious around him."

"Who did you call a yokai?" Kurama growled, grabbing Tomoe by the collar of his shirt. "Are you sure it's alright for you to be up and about, _little boy_? It seems that your fever hasn't gone down yet!"

Kurama growled directly into Tomoe's face and Miko snarled protectively, pulling the fox out of his hand."Hey! Don't be so rough with Tomoe!" She held Tomoe close, her golden eyes glaring at the Tengu. "Kurama, you should know better than to do that!"

The Tengu ignored her, leaning forward to speak directly to Tomoe. "Getting covered for by a girl like that, you're oh-so-cool," he scoffed at the fox. "Don't forget that the whole reason Nanami is here is because of _you._ "

"Kurama!" Miko scolded, moving out of the room. "Don't be ridiculous. None of this is Tomoe's fault!"

But Tomoe knew that wasn't true. Nanami would have found a job and a place to stay on her own by then if she hadn't had to care for him. She certainly wouldn't be indebted to that troublesome crow. He looked up at Miko and sighed. _Neither would you._ That was true too. Tomoe had been the one charged with watching Miko all those years ago, but she had run away with Kurama under Tomoe's own nose. If he had been a better guardian, a better familiar, perhaps Miko would never have even met Kurama, nor would Nanami. It killed him to be so helpless as he watched the two girls sacrifice for his sake. Something had to be done, that much Tomoe knew. But what?

"We've got to get going," Kurama commented, glancing at his watch. "It's already late."

"Where are you going?" Nanami glanced up at the pair as Miko set Tomoe down on the bed once more.

Miko sighed. "We have to go to work. I'd stay and help if I could, but we have a rehearsal for a live performance at ten. Can't be helped." She began packing her bag and glanced over at Nanami who seemed down. She giggled and poked at the younger girl's arm. "You're looking like you're going to be lonely by yourself."

"Of course not!" Nanami protested, but Kurama was already handing her several items.

"Here's a spare key for the house, my cell phone number, and some money," he told her firmly. "Call me if anything happens." With that he walked out the door, Miko following with a helpless shrug as she waved goodbye to Nanami and Tomoe. Despite her worry, Miko knew that there wasn't really much else she could do at the moment.

And so, the fox and the wolf went their separate ways, each one feeling equally helpless towards one another, and maybe, just maybe, something more.

* * *

Miko sat at her manager's desk, going over the new song. They were discussing the timeline for the new release and whether to fit it on the next album or just put it out as a single.

Or, rather, that's what they should have been discussing. The interaction fit more along the lines of Tazaki offering potential options for doing one thing or another and Miko nodding along absentmindedly. She couldn't help it, really. She had tried to pay attention, but her mind kept drifting back to Tomoe. She kept glancing at the door, wondering if Nanami would burst through the door to tell her some horrible news.

Miko had just turned back from the door for what seemed like the hundredth time when it slammed open loudly. She jumped in surprise and turned to see Kurama standing in the doorway. "Hey, what are you doing back? I thought you went home half an hour ago." She tried to sound nonchalant, but the way the crow Tengu rolled his eyes at her made it obvious he wasn't buying the act.

"I ran into Nanami on the way home." Miko's heart seemed to skip a beat. She immediately tensed up, moving towards the door. Kurama didn't bother to stop her, simply continuing his story. "Apparently Tomoe went back to the shrine." He had explained the situation to Miko on the way to work, so she wasn't exactly surprised, but the news still irked her. "But now, he's hiding somewhere in the shrine. No one can find him."

The brunette took off running, ignoring Kurama and Tazaki's calls. All she could think about at that moment was Tomoe. Her best friend, her only remaining family was in trouble and not even Lady Izanami herself could stop her. All Miko could see as she ran was Tomoe's face. First as an adult, fiercely protecting her from all the bad in the world, then as a child, comforting and sweet. _I've got to save him. I won't let anyone touch what's mine._

"Tomoe!" Miko called as she reached the top steps of the shrine. She heard voices inside as she slowed down to get a better grasp of the situation.

"I'm _very_ grateful," a familiar male voice spoke from inside the main room. _Tomoe!_ Miko pulled open the doors but froze in place immediately.

It was Tomoe alright, but he looked completely different. His silver hair was now reaching his waist, and his bright lavender eyes carried even more mischief than normal. He was dressed in very elaborate yet old-fashioned clothes.

But more shocking than that, he was _kissing_ Nanami. Miko thought her heart had stopped working for a moment. It was only after he pulled away that she could breathe again. "That's to reseal the familiar contract," he told Nanami. The pair seemed to realize they weren't alone at the same time, because they both turned to Miko. "Oh, Miko. Is everything alright? You seem out of breath."

Nanami looked flushed, but said nothing, simply watching for Miko's reaction. The older girl shook her head, trying to speak past the lump in her throat. "Yeah- yeah, I'm fine. Kurama told me what happened, so I rushed over. But I'm glad to see you're back to normal, Tomoe."

Almost immediately after the words left her mouth, Miko turned and walked out of the shrine, ignoring both of them. It normal for her to be jealous, she supposed. Having had Tomoe to herself for so long, it would be natural to get territorial.

But Miko wasn't jealous. She was numb. She walked down the steps of the mountain, suddenly feeling exhausted. Even still, she was berating herself. How could she have been so foolish? Tomoe didn't belong to Miko; he never did. He belonged to Mikage, and now he belonged to Nanami. It was so obvious, and yet she had managed to fool herself into thinking he was actually hers. And what did she have to claim?

A familiar figure was waiting for Miko when she arrived at the base of the mountain. She didn't acknowledge him, simply continuing on her way home. He followed, seeming oblivious to her mood. "So?"

"Tomoe's fine. They found him and he's back to normal." Her tone was emotionless, but Miko couldn't find it in herself to care.

"I see." Kurama shrugged as they walked. "Makes sense. That was almost an hour ago."

"Wait, what?" Miko paused and turned to look at her friend.

Kurama nodded. "Yeah, I saw Nanami right outside of work. I went back to tell you, but they were selling taiyaki at a stand and I got distracted."

Miko just stared at him, too shocked to respond for a moment. "Kurama… you big idiot!"

* * *

Hey guys! Below are the songs sung by Miko and Kurama if you want to check them out.

Hurricane by The Vamps

Bubbly by Colbie Caillat


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